Those Ungrateful Humans!
by adromir
Summary: Legolas and the gang are busy pulling pranks on one another. But when it involves humans, someone is bound to get badly hurt.
1. Default Chapter

**SUMMARY :**** Legolas and the gang are busy pulling pranks on one another. But when it involves humans, someone is bound to get hurt.**

**Hello, everyone! I'm alive and still kicking. Ready for another adventure of Legolas and the gang? Here it comes. **

**But before that, most of you might have realized that one of my fic—yes, the controversial one—'Triple Jeopardy' has been removed by ffnet over a week ago. Why? Don't ask me. I'm still confused. The only reason they gave me was that the story had violated the guideline, using things that are not allowed such as interactive, chat/script, real person, mst, etc. I even sent a mail to the Admin and asked them to be more specific with their reasons, so that I won't repeat whatever errors I've made. But I guessed they are too busy too reply to little old me. Well, what can I say? Looks like I have to keep making more mistakes until my membership is removed from the board altogether! LOL! **

**So if some of you still want to read 'Triple Jeopardy', just e-mail me and I'll send the entire story to you. If you're lucky (or unlucky, whichever you prefer), I might drop a short uncut story along (The one that is _not_ fit to be posted on this board due to its extra R-rated scenes). And if you find any of the fics in the ffnet not to your liking (including mine), don't bother submit a flame or review. Just click on the button of 'Report Possible Abuse' and the story will be history, no questions ask. Trust me. It works! Just see what happens to 'Triple Jeopardy'! Really, I'm still laughing from here to Valinor! LOL! (I'm quite surprise they didn't remove 'Temptation of Madness' though, because I think that is the most outrageous fic I've ever written.)**

**Okay, enough about that. Now let's see what Leggy and his three companions have gotten themselves into this time. (Yep. Kel and Ell and Ro are in it!)**

**NOTE :**** This story takes place right after 'Turbulent Vengeance' where Legolas and Keldarion's age are about equivalent to human's twenty and thirty-years-old respectively. (Still acting like little kids though.)**

**P/S : I think you all better jot down my e-mail address ). They might remove this story _and_ me from the board after what I've just stated above. He he…**

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It was early morning in Mirkwood when a sudden shriek came from one of the guest rooms in the royal dwelling, disturbing the otherwise peaceful atmosphere.

And then, someone was shouting, "LEGOLAS! AI, I'M GOING TO KILL YOU FOR THIS!"

Elladan was glaring balefully at his discarded boots as he cursed and ranted, almost frothing at the mouth. His brother, Elrohir, who had been awakened by the noise, looked on from the other twin bed with a bemused expression on his face, his eyes still droopy from sleep.

"STUPID INSOLENT WARG-FACED IMP!" Elladan had still not finished with his tirade. "LEGOLAS!"

The person in question finally appeared in the doorway. Leaning against the doorjamb with his arms folded across his chest, the golden-haired prince of Mirkwood grinned rakishly. "Yes? You call?"

At that, Elladan growled and strode for Legolas with his arms outstretched, thinking of strangling the prince's throat. "Why you little…!"

"What the blazes is going on in here?" Keldarion, Legolas' older brother, suddenly appeared. He was frowning as he glanced between them back and forth. "You will wake father up with all this ruckus."

Still grinning, Legolas leapt out of Elladan's reach and hid behind his brother. "Yes, Ell. Calm down, will you. The king will be so mad if you disturb his sleep."

"_Calm down_?" Elladan's eyes were huge in his ferocious glare. "You want me to calm down after you've placed snakes in my boots? I almost died from shock when I put them on! Look at my left foot! I was bitten, you toad!"

Elrohir instantly burst out laughing, collapsing into his pillows with his shoulders shaking. Keldarion bit his lip to stop himself from smiling. He glanced at his younger brother, his head shaking. "You did _what_?"

As Elrohir kept laughing in the background, Legolas shrugged in nonchalance as he walked towards the ill-fated boots, keeping himself as far away from Elladan as possible. He put his hands inside the boots and pulled out the two little crawlers that had given the boots' owner the scare of his life.

"See?" Legolas let the snakes curl around his arms. "They are just garter snakes. They are harmless."

Elladan didn't know whether he wanted to jam his boots _or_ the snakes down Legolas' throat. _Or maybe I can tie the creatures round his neck and strangle him_, he thought.

"Harmless, my butt!" The elder son of Elrond advanced menacingly towards the prince. "I told you, they bit me! And will you stop laughing for a second, Ro!"

Elrohir laughed all the harder.

"Oh, don't be such a baby, Ell," Legolas responded and, much to Elladan's disgust kissed the snakes' smooth heads. "You know they are not poisonous. Their bites won't kill you."

"Right, but _I_ can kill _you_."

"All right, all right. Knock it off," Keldarion quickly intervened when Elladan grabbed hold of Legolas' neck and shook him. "Release the stupid brat, Ell. I'll kill him later for you. And, Ro, you had better stop laughing before _your_ brother kills _you_."

Chuckling, Legolas sat down on one the beds, still cradling the snakes. He was glad that the prank he 'planted' that dawn had turned out to be a huge success. "Ell, Ro, meet my little friends here, Elladan and Elrohir. I call them El and El for short."

The three elves stared at Legolas without blinking, Stupefied.

"You named them _what_?" Keldarion asked, almost choking with laughter.

"El and El? After _our_ names?" Elrohir grinned as he got out of his bed, scratching at his bare belly. "Very…um…creative, Legolas."

"Very suicidal is more like it," Elladan fumed. "You really want me to kill you, don't you?"

After sending a last glare at Mirkwood's younger prince, the Rivendell elf picked up his boots, tilted them upside down and shook them vigorously. Satisfied that no more snakes—or any other kind of animals—lingered in his footwear, Elladan finally put them on.

Stifling a yawn and feeling a slight regret that his sleep had been cut short by his brother's screaming, Elrohir reached blindly for the shirt he had draped over the back of a chair the night before and put it on.

Not long after, the younger son of Elrond broke into a loud shriek.

"Argghhaiiiieeee!" Elrohir howled as he jumped from one foot to the other, twitching and shuddering and wriggling as he frantically worked his hands into his shirt to get something off his back.

Elladan's eyes bulged at the spectacle.

Legolas grinned even wider, thoroughly enjoying the comical scene.

Keldarion rolled his eyes and muttered, "Great. Here we go again."

"LEGOLAS, I WILL KILL YOU!" the younger twin was now screaming. Elladan and Keldarion instantly went to his aid, grabbing him to keep him still as they helped search for the offending item. After yanking the shirt off Elrohir, they finally found the culprit—another two-foot-long garter snake.

"Ah, you've found El!" Legolas enthused and took the creature out of Keldarion's startled grasp.

"_Another_ El?" The elder prince was torn between laughing and yelling at his brother.

"And what does _this_ El stand for?" Elrohir glared as he accepted a fresh tunic from his twin. "_Elrond_?"

"No, silly." Legolas smiled indulgently as he stroked his pets. "This one here is named Elwyn. It's a female, see?"

"And what if it's a male?" A new voice suddenly came from the doorway. "Would you have called him _El Thranduil_?"

The youngsters froze. They turned and saw the king of Mirkwood standing there in his sleeping robe, scowling back at them.

"Well, Legolas?" Thranduil asked again.

Legolas gulped. "What do you mean, father?"

"Never mind my first question. But I want you to answer this one; _who_ started all this annoying racket?"

Three fingers pointed at the golden-haired prince.

Grinning sheepishly, Legolas shrugged. "I guess _I_ did."

"I thought so." Thranduil nodded grimly. "I can see that for myself. You are holding the evidence."

Legolas looked down at the snakes in his arms. "Ah…yes, well I…"

"Get rid of them," his father ordered.

"I'm going, I'm going." Relieved to find the means for escape, Legolas did exactly that. He went out onto the balcony, vaulted over the rail and leapt the twenty-feet down.

Keldarion and the twins groaned out loud.

"Father, you just let him go?" Keldarion protested.

Thranduil smiled, crossing his arms. "He has just had his victory. Let him gobble it up to his heart's content. Besides, he deserves it after what you did to him yesterday."

The three young elves glanced guiltily at one another.

"Uh…you are right, my lord, but…" Elladan paused, "This isn't fair. He put live snakes in our clothing, while we just put…"

"Curls. Springy and very ladylike curls in his hair," Thranduil interrupted. "While he was asleep."

Stifling their chuckles, Keldarion exchanged amused looks with the Rivendell brothers and recalled the hairdo disaster that Legolas had suffered the day before. A heavy sleeper, Legolas had been totally oblivious when his elder brother and the twins smuggled a curling iron into his room and started to give him an instant makeover. He had come down for breakfast without combing his hair or looking into a mirror, giving his father and Thranduil's entire household—not to mention, _himself_—the biggest shock they had ever had in centuries. One of the servants even dropped the tray she was carrying when she first saw him, thinking that some strange girl had stolen the prince's face and clothes.

Afterwards, Legolas had to wash his hair repeatedly in the stream to get rid of the blasted curls, not fully sure that his hair would ever grow straight again. He believed he had to seek advice from the maidens of the court because they might know some measures to repair his hair—like 'rebonding technique', for example.

Walking into the garden now, Legolas whistled happily. He was delighted that the pranks he had pulled on the twins had given him the exact reaction he had wanted. His recollections of Elladan's red face and Elrohir's panicked expression would keep him laughing from here to Valinor! He'd always known that the twins were terribly squeamish when it came to snakes. Unluckily, Keldarion was not. So, knowing his brother's weakness, Legolas had other plans for him.

Keldarion was afraid of leeches.

Legolas laughed again as he put the snakes back into the rhododendron bushes, thanking them for their help. He could already imagine his brother's green face when Keldarion found the little bloodsuckers Legolas planned to put in his bed tonight.

_That will teach him and the twins_, Legolas thought with glee, already planning to head to the stream after breakfast to look for the leeches. _No one touches my hair and get away with it._

Ever since the twins' arrival to spend the summer here about a week ago, they had been teaming up with Keldarion to pull some silly jokes on Legolas. Like naughty children, they hid all his boots, held him down as they tickled him mercilessly until he almost peed in his pants, put a live fish down the back of his tunic (Oh, he knew what Elrohir felt, that was for sure!), threw his pillows into the garden below, and even hanged his stolen leggings up at the palace flag post. Thranduil had been flabbergasted when he saw no sign of the Mirkwood standard there but his son's pants instead, flapping gaily in the wind. And, boy, the king was _so_ not amused that day!

With a grin, Legolas walked back towards home to sit down for breakfast, his mind actively working on more plans to assault his brother and the twins, unaware that they were also planning _something_ in counterattack.

The war of pranks had just begun…

**TBC…**


	2. 2

**Deana**** You're the 1st reviewer, mellon! As always!**

**Dur**** En Thurin Naur**** You'll sign a petition for me? Awwww…so sweet! **

**REAL Anonymous Fan :**** Why is your brother so angry at you? Want me to kidnap him?**

**Joee1**** Yes, I think so too. I also wondered if the administrators even read the fics before removing them. Probably not. **

**Legolas**** Greenleaf :**** Thank you so much. I love to be patted! Do it again. **

**Aranel**** of Mirkwood**** I'll hurry, babe! (Have you received my two e-mails?)**

**Pavement**** Here's my e-mail address '. But if it didn't appear here, you can look it through my bio page.**

**LegolasLover2003**** Ah. The curling iron, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. He! He! In Middle-earth, where there's no electricity, Kel and the twins had to poke the iron into the hearth to heat it up before coiling Leggy's hair around it. They needed to repeat the procedure until they got the desired effect. Thank the Valar Leggy slept like the dead! LOL!**

**Mellaithwen**** I know that feeling.**

**Astalder27**** He is not going to be doing just fine any longer. Wait and see what he will get himself into.**

**Kel******** That humans' part are coming your way. (Now that I know you're afraid of leeches, I'll send you a bunch of them by mail. He! He!)**

**Aly**** K :**** I promise to keep you giggling. **

**Brazgirl******** Nope. Not really all pranks. In fact, the pranks will backfire.**

**PL Wynter**** : You put snakes in Erestor's boot? He! He! That poor guy must still be screaming.**

**Hi! I'm glad to know you've been busy laughing! LOL! To those who have requested, I'll mail to you 'Triple Jeopardy'. And about the short extra-R rated story, it is also coming your way around next week. But I have to warn you, it is very nasty, a never published scene from 'Trauma'. **

**Now on to the current story!**

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"Will you hurry up, Legolas?" Keldarion poked his head into his brother's room the next day. "We need to get there before nightfall."

Tightening the buckle of his quiver belt, Legolas looked up and smirked back at his brother. "Hold your horses, Kel. The tavern is not going anywhere."

"If you are not down in _one_ minute, we are going to leave you behind," Keldarion warned and left the room.

Legolas shrugged. _Right.__ Whatever._

He turned to stare at the mirror, taking his own sweet time to check his appearance. Assured that no more curls appeared on his head, he picked up his bow and dagger before walking down towards the courtyard where his elder brother and the twins—as well as four magnificent horses—were impatiently waiting.

"Ah, here comes sleeping beauty," Elrohir dryly said.

"Ha, ha. That's a funny joke, Ro. My armpits are tickling with amusement," Legolas responded as he walked to his mount, a black stallion with a white blaze on its forehead.

"Oh, there's more, Legolas," said Elladan, sharing a secret look with his twin and Keldarion. "You will go to sleep laughing by the time this day ends."

"_Really_." Legolas grinned, knowing that they had planned _something_ for him during the journey to Oak Byre, a small human town about fifteen leagues away. But he was too hardheaded—or rather, too blockheaded—to decline their invitation to join them. In fact, he was deeply curious to know what they had in store for him, so he prepared himself to expect the unexpected.

His latest prank—like the first one—had also become a huge success. Keldarion's loud shriek last night was still echoing in the palace. The leeches had done their work beautifully. To remain alive, Legolas had to hide himself in his father's room until the steam had stopped coming out of Keldarion's ears.

Earlier in the day yesterday, Keldarion and the twins had told him of their plan to get to a tavern for some beer, asking him to come along with them. Legolas could still recall the first time he took the beverage and went roaringly drunk. It was not an experience he wished to repeat, considering the mother of all hangovers he had suffered afterwards. But he knew he would be bored to death without his companions around. So, against his own good judgment, he decided to tag along. But he swore not to touch any of those beer mugs again, though. He needed to be on full alert after all. Valar knows what the twins and Keldarion planned to do to him.

During the ride to Oak Byre, Keldarion kept his eyes on his brother's face. Legolas looked nonchalant, as if he had no care in the world, but the elder prince noticed the gleam of suspicion in his brother's silver eyes. Legolas knew what they were up to, knew they were pulling him into a prank.

Feeling his brother's eyes on him, Legolas turned, smiled at Keldarion and faced forward once more, pretending that nothing was amiss.

When they stopped at a creek a couple of hours later, Keldarion and the twins immediately got together under the pretext of watering the horses.

"He knows," Keldarion muttered through the corner of his mouth as he ran a hand down his mount's flank.

Elladan snorted. "Of course, he knows. He is not stupid."

"Then why does he still come if he knows we are up to no good?" Elrohir wondered, feeding water to his mare using the cup of his hands.

"Because he likes to live his life dangerously," Keldarion answered. "He is curious by nature. That is why he always gets into trouble."

"Do you think he is going to like _this_ 'trouble'?" Elladan grinned, and leaped away quickly when Legolas' stallion suddenly came near and tried to take a bite of his hair.

"What trouble?" Legolas asked with a straight face. He knew they had been whispering about him. He caught a bit of their conversation here and there, but still could not figure out what they planned to do.

"No trouble at all, Legolas. Don't worry. Everything's fine," Elrohir answered with an over bright smile, much to Elladan and Keldarion's exasperation. Elladan cuffed the back of his twin's head in warning.

Elrohir spun and glared. "What did you do that for?"

"There was a mosquito," Elladan replied, deadpanned.

Keldarion rolled his eyes and quickly herded everyone back onto their mounts before the twins could get into a nasty brawl.

When they finally arrived in Oak Byre, it was still late afternoon. They had to walk down a busy street, passing through thatched roof houses and small shops to get to Silver Barrel, the town famous tavern.

The twins were leading the way for they had been to the tavern twice before with a pack of Dunedains. All four elves had pulled the hood of their cloak over their heads to avoid the humans' attraction towards their fair faces and pointed ears. They even left their long bows with their mounts in the woods outside of town, knowing that to bring them here would only raise eyebrows and stir trouble.

Keldarion and the twins were exchanging grins as they neared the tavern, nearly causing Legolas to pounce on them and demand to know their plan. But he kept a level head and waited patiently, which was not an easy thing to do because he was not a patient person!

"After you." Elladan was holding the tavern door for Legolas, smiling mischievously.

Frowning, Legolas took a wary step forward, but froze in mid-step when he heard the sudden sound of a woman screaming.

"NO!"

The elves instantly whirled around, looking about for the source. They saw the town people walked to and fro, minding their business, but some of them were seen rushing towards a certain area further down the street.

The screaming came again.

"Please, no! We beg you!"

Curious, Legolas was already walking towards the commotion. "What the blazes is going on?"

"Legolas, wait!" Keldarion called out, but his younger brother pretended not to hear. Sighing, Keldarion muttered, "Foolish imp."

To the twins, he said, "Let's go follow that stupid brother of mine and make sure he doesn't get into silly scrapes."

With Elladan and Elrohir hot on his heels, Keldarion chased after Legolas.

The younger prince was rushing towards the town square near the market place, following the voices that now grew more frantic and hysteric. When he got there, he was astounded to see the people crowding around a raised platform where five bodies of little children had been laid upon. Firewood and kindling were piled under the platform, making a pyre, waiting to be torched and burned.

Several women and men, obviously the children's parents, were kneeling on the ground before a tall, white-haired man wearing a long grey robe. They were begging and pleading with him, asking him to spare their children's life.

Legolas felt his brother and the twins came next to him, but he couldn't get his eyes off the intriguing spectacle.

"He wants to burn the children," Keldarion whispered in disbelief. He stared hard at the grey-robed figure who the people called _Shakmi_, the medicine man.

"But the children are still alive!" Legolas said in contained anger. He could clearly see the rise and fall of the children's chests. He knew they were still breathing. "They are gravely ill but still alive nonetheless. They need healing, not a burning!"

"These children bring great evil to Oak Bryce!" The man called Shakmi spoke out loud as he raised his long wooden staff. "They bring our doom! The plague they carry will be the death of us all if we let them breath among us. I've had dreams of this calamity, and the Power Above has spoken to me to burn these demon spawns before they spread their hideous spots onto us!"

Most of the crowd nodded and murmured in agreement as they sent feared and hatred glances towards the ailing children. There were three boys and two girls on the pyre, all lying so still and unresponsive, oblivious to the excitement around them. Their pasty looking skin were spotted with hundreds of tiny red dots, and their sweat-soaked bodies shivered in the dusk breeze, a sure sign that they were suffering from a pestilence called Red Pox.

As everyone watched wide eyed at the unfolding scene, Shakmi turned to a man standing by the pyre holding a lit torch.

"Light the fire, Mordred," said Shakmi. "For the sake of our lives and our children's, burn this sickness lest it claims us all. Curse on the plague and blessings on this sacrifice to the Power Above. May this devilry stop so that we shall live and prosper. Light the fire! We will let the evil burn! Let it burn!"

Legolas had heard enough. Before his companions could stop him, he broke away from the crowd and confronted the grey-robed man.

"The heck you will!" he shouted. "I demand a stop to this madness, right now!"

**TBC…**

**How foolish can Leggy get?**


	3. 3

**I won't be here till Monday so I left you with the 2nd chapter for today. Like it? **

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"Oh, _brother_," Keldarion moaned with a roll of his eyes, while Elladan and Elrohir groaned out loud next to him.

_Great.__ Here comes trouble_.

The entire crowd was taken aback by Legolas' sudden intrusion. They stared in surprise at the tall hooded stranger, gaping and blinking at him like a pack of dumbstruck owls.

Shakmi was the first to recover from the shock. His eyes as hard as steel, the medicine man glared at the elf. "And who are you to make such a bold demand?"

"Someone who finds overreacted humans annoying," Legolas glibly responded, striding closer towards the pyre.

Keldarion tried to grab the back of his brother's tunic but missed. Cursing fluently under his breath, he watched anxiously as Legolas placed a hand against the forehead of one ailing boy.

"They have Red Pox, not an unusual fatal disease among men," Legolas said with a frown. "Their condition is grave indeed, but there's no need for you to burn them alive."

"They will spread the plague if we let them live," Shakmi retorted, his voice as cold as mountain ice. "They bring death to us all, a horrible curse upon our heads! There is no cure for this sickness. I've tried everything to make them well again but nothing works…"

"So you give up and take the easiest way." Legolas' silver eyes were blazing as he returned Shakmis's glare. "You've not try hard enough, and now these children are paying the price for your incompetence. And you call yourself a medicine man?"

By then, after a chorus of shocked gasps and stunned cries, the crowd had gone eerily quiet. They stared in silence at the heated exchange, wondering at the identity of the tall stranger who dared to contradict Shakmi's conduct.

"Legolas!" Keldarion hissed in warning, tugging desperately at his brother's sleeve. "I don't think it is wise for you to interfere in their affair. Just leave them be."

The younger prince turned to his brother, his gaze intent. "You know I can't do that."

Indeed, Keldarion knew, though he wished differently, considering the current situation that grew tenser by the minute. He of all people knew he could not change the fact that Legolas was a _manyan_, a mystical healer that could heal all kinds of illnesses and injuries just by the simple touch of his hand. He carried such powerful ability within him, yet he was free to choose between using and not using it. There was no decree that demanded him to heal every malady that he stumbled upon, much less humans'.

But Legolas always choose to heal. He hated to see anyone suffer, be it elves or animals or humans, especially innocent children like those three boys and two girls lying helplessly on the pyre. As his brother was fond to say, "Legolas' heart is bigger than his brain". Always impetuous, he would follow what his heart told him, ignoring what his brain warned him.

"Typical Legolas", Thranduil would have said if he was around to witness this. "He jumps happily into a fray and be damned the consequences."

Clutching his staff in his fist, Shakmi walked several steps closer towards the elves. "I don't know who you are, stranger, but I advise you not to meddle in our business. If you have nothing better to say other than impugning me and my duty, I suggest you leave."

"_Duty_?" Legolas scoffed without humor. "Does your duty include murdering little children? Who do you think _you_ are? Some kind of a god or something to take innocent lives at your whim so you can hide your flaws? Of all the most cowardice and irresponsible things I've ever heard…"

"Enough, little brother. You are inviting trouble," Keldarion whispered into his brother's ear even though he knew it was pointless. They were in trouble already. The crowd had grown larger, while Shakmi and some of the men were glowering back at the four companions as if they also carried the Red Pox.

"If you _know_ so much," Shakmi said sarcastically. "Then what do you suggest we do? Bath these poor children in sesame oil and feed them bran porridge? Or should I bleed them to let out the demon's soul from their bodies? I've tried those and as you can see, that didn't work."

"You should have been more patient and diligent, not too quick to lose hope. That's what a medicine man should be," Legolas muttered as he shrugged off Keldarion's hands. And then, to everyone's surprise, he nimbly leaped onto the pyre and knelt between the ailing children.

At Shakmi's silent signal, Mordred—the man who held the lit torch—made a move as if to light the fire. With a quick glance from Keldarion, Elladan stepped forward and yanked the torch out of the man's hands.

"There is no need for this, don't you think?" Elrohir asked with a smile as he took the torch from his twin and jammed its burning head into the ground to put out the flame.

Shakmi grew angrier. At a flick of his hand, several men broke away from the crowd and advanced towards the four strangers.

That was the time when Keldarion thought they should abandon their disguise. Nodding to the twins, he pulled down the hood of his cloak, revealing his fair face and delicately pointed ears to the people. Elladan and Elrohir followed suit, grinning with pleasure.

"_Elves_!" The crowd gasped, pointing and murmuring excitedly among themselves. "They are elves!"

The advancing men froze in their tracks, staring stupidly at Keldarion and the twins. They had noticed that the strangers were not completely unarmed after all. Deadly looking daggers were seen strapped to the elves' belt, while their well-muscled and lithe frames clearly spoke of their prowess in hand-to-hand combat. These were ageless warriors not to be reckoned with.

Shakmi's eyes bulged as if they were about to pop out of their sockets. "What in tarnation are you _elves_ doing here?" he spat, throwing venom glares at Legolas who was still bending over the children.

"We didn't mean to intrude," Keldarion said quietly in a placating manner. "We are not here to cause any troubles."

"Then what the blazes is _he _doing?" The man pointed at Legolas.

"Just watch and learn," Elrohir crisply told him, putting end to the man's tirade.

The younger prince had placed his hands on the two girls' foreheads, his own head bent in concentration to the healing procedure. The energy was flowing smoothly through his fingertips down onto his patients' skin, and it would not be long before they were completely cured of their sickness.

The surrounding crowd was actually holding their breath, their high hopes and disbelief rolled into one. The humans still did not fully understand what was going on, but they expected to see a miracle. Wasn't that what elves do, these mysterious ethereal beings that possessed so many secrets and magic?

"Mama?"

Several moments later, the girls began to stir. Their eyes fluttered open as they called for their mothers. Red spots no longer marred their bodies.

The girls' parent cried out with joy as they rushed towards their daughters, hugging them like they didn't want to let go. Legolas was now healing the three boys, ignoring the high sound of din around him as the crowd cheered and applauded as if they were watching a blasted carnival.

"All right. Things are quickly getting pretty hectic here," Elladan mumbled to Keldarion as more parents came to collect the now healed little boys.

The crowd was indeed growing more excited by the minute as they inspected the five children's glowing faces and healthy skin, amazed to see no trace of the Red Pox. A woman had fainted from shock on the spot, while several men were shouting obscenities at Shakmi, condemning him for his earlier intention to burn the children. The medicine man said nothing, just stood there in stoic silence as he took the abuse. But his eyes didn't waver as he keenly stared at Legolas who had jumped off the pyre to stand next to Keldarion.

"Congratulations. You have just gained yourself a bitter enemy," the elder prince dryly told his brother, slightly unease to see the peculiar expression on Shakmi's face.

"So, what else is new?" Legolas easily responded with a shrug as he tugged down his hood.

And that nearly caused a riot because several young women practically swooned when they caught sight of Legolas' magnificent features. They thought that Keldarion and the twins were exceptionally handsome, but Legolas was totally beyond compare.

"Err…" Legolas watched anxiously as the young women started to swarm him, tugging at his hands and touching his hair, muttering and whispering among themselves in admiration of his beauty.

"Um, Kel? Ell? Ro? Help me here. Please?" Legolas looked chagrin, Shakmi already forgotten. As the _manyan_stood unmoving in the centre of the excitement, Keldarion and the twins exchanged amused glances.

"Should we help him?" Elladan asked, tongue in his cheek.

"Nah. Let him sweat," Keldarion replied with a grin for Legolas was indeed sweating.

"Right. This is even better than the surprise we have for him," Elrohir piped in.

"Our earlier plan is still on, right?" Elladan stated with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes." Keldarion nodded in agreement. "The 'surprise' is the main reason we came here. So let's get his butt out of this bedlam and into the tavern before these women start ripping at his clothes for souvenirs."

The elves efficiently wormed through the crowd, grabbed Legolas' arms, and herded him away. Still a bit dazed, Legolas went with them without protest—sighing in relief, in fact. He didn't even notice that Shakmi the medicine man had quickly made himself scarce, disappearing through the pandemonium.

But Keldarion had noticed. He had seen the last vile look that Shakmi sent their way, which was focused mainly on Legolas. Keldarion believed that the matter would not end there. Knowing humans, he was sure the medicine man was feeling greatly insulted and would seek revenge. And knowing his brother and his penchant for troubles, Keldarion supposed he needed to keep a watchful eye on Legolas so that Shakmi won't get anywhere near him.

This was the second time Legolas had used his healing skill on humans. The first time had ended in disaster when a large troop of Norsemen had abducted Legolas afterwards and kept him slave in their camp. He had been forced to heal all the wounded Norsemen soldiers, nonstop. They even pushed him to bring a dead body back to life, which was totally impossible because Legolas' ability only worked on breathing life form, not corpses. That episode nearly claimed his life, and Keldarion had been more protective of him than ever before, afraid that the same thing would repeat itself once more.

But now Legolas had done it again, healing those human children without a care for the consequences.

Keldarion was smiling as they stepped into the tavern, but he was actually hiding a sudden shiver of dread.

_Something bad will happen,_ came the grim thought to his mind as a sliver of foreboding ran up and down his spine.

**TBC…**

**See you on Monday!**


	4. 4

**Real Anonymous Fan :**** I love my brothers too, but I won't mind if someone wants to kidnap them. Save me the pain in my butt! LOL! And yes, I enjoy my weekend. I just got back from a trip.**

**Deana**** Hey, wake up, girl. Still swooning? Want me to tell Leggy to kiss you?**

**Dur**** En Thurin Naur**** Yep. Mordred is Arthur's illegitimate son. **

**Nessa**** Thranduiliel**** Of course, I love cliffies. It's my middle name after all. He he…**

**Sabrina**** I'm glad that you discovered me and this series. Feel free to stay and join the company!**

**Sesshyangel**** OMG! It's indeed a MEGA review! Thank you, mellon! I feel as big as a balloon now. OMG! Anyway, thank you so much for offering to be my beta but I already have a new one (Hi, Aranel!). I'm so glad that readers like you are willing to help me improve my writing. That's true. I don't use Elvish in my stories. I tried to keep it as minimum as possible because I'm not really good in Elvish (I will only made a fool of myself if I try it anyway. Ha! Ha!), and secondly I found reading other languages that I don't understand is a bit distracting. And yes, Manyan is my creation. And so is Keldarion. The rest are cannon.**

**KeluinLossehilin**** I do have a story in mind about little Kel. I'll let you know about it after it's finished. Have you received 'Triple Jeopardy' in your mail?**

**Legolas**** Garden Light :**** You got that right! The rescuer is going to be the rescuee!**

**Willow**** Evenstar**** It's all right, mellon, just as long as I'm in your heart.**

**BitterLee**** Thank you for giving me the information, and I'm also very glad for your deep concern. Love you for it. I will look into this matter and find out what's really going on.**

**Pavement**** Can you give me your e-mail so I can send it to you?**

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As they sat down at a table, Keldarion shared a look with the twins and mouthed, "Keep your eyes open."

Elladan and Elrohir nodded, understanding Keldarion's meaning. They were already scanning the room, looking for lurking threats or hiding assailants.

Oblivious to his companions' extra caution, Legolas propped his chin against his palm and grinned. "Well, this is interesting," he said. "It's like déjà vu, you know. Didn't we come into a tavern once to get drunk only to find ourselves in a deep mess with the humans? Do you think they are going to abduct me again?"

The three elves looked at one another, turned back to Legolas, and snapped, "NO!"

Legolas blinked, stunned by the outburst. "Hey, don't need to bite my head off here. I was just making a joke."

"Not funny." Keldarion caught the eye of the tavern girl, giving her the signal that they were ready to place their order.

"And so was that reckless move out there, Legolas. Not funny at all," Elladan added. "We all could have ended up in a fix."

"Yes. We were lucky those people didn't mob us." Elrohir was shaking his head at Legolas, and then he sat up straighter. "Heck, what am I saying? Those women _did_ mob you!"

Elladan and Keldarion grinned. "That's right! We heard them calling you a _beautiful_ angel!"

Legolas blushed. He absently fingered his hair, slightly anxious. "Do you think I still have those blasted curls on my head?"

Instead of answering his question, his three companions broke into a loud guffaw. Legolas gave up and changed the subject, "All right. What are we doing here? You are not going to get me drunk now, are you? Because I don't think I'm going to fall for that trick. _Again_."

"I'm not so sure about that," Elrohir muttered with a grin, which was rewarded by a warning jab in the ribs from his twin.

"To be frank, Legolas, we have a surprise for you," Keldarion said as again he signaled—a bit more impatient this time—for the tavern girl.

"Oh? And why am I not so surprise?" Legolas cocked one perfect eyebrow, smirking back at his brother.

The tavern girl—a plump and harried looking young woman—finally stopped by their table, huffing and puffing for breath. "Sorry for the delay but it has been a long day and I'm the only one who is sane enough to wait on tables in this pathetic dump and I'm already dead on my feet I can't even work the energy to gush over you elves' ridiculous beauty but never mind me so what can I get you?"

The four companions gaped at her for a full second, amazed that she could talk long and fast in one single breath.

"Well, uh…" Elladan coughed to cover his gales of laugher. "We would like four mugs of your in-house mead and the Today's Special that you have listed on the board outside."

"Which one?"

"I beg your pardon?"

The woman rolled her eyes, looking bored. "All the dishes in here _are_ special. At least, that's what my boss thinks so. But if you ask me, I think what he cooks inside that kitchen don't even worth a spit! You won't believe what he uses to fry the fishes and…"

"Just give us your famous 'Sweet As Honey' apple pie, 'Smooth And Tender' rice porridge and a bowl of your 'Fire Breathing' mushroom soup," Keldarion quickly interjected before her long tirade could drag on.

"The 'Fire Breathing' mushroom soup?" The woman's eyebrows rose.

"Yes. That's what I said."

She shrugged. "Fine. Your funeral."

At that, the tavern girl turned away from the table and rushed towards the kitchen, muttering to herself about the stupidity of certain creatures of Eldar. The four companions stared at one another for a complete heartbeat before they broke into a roaring laughter.

"That woman is very…uh…_interesting_," Elrohir stated afterwards, still chuckling.

"That's right, Ro," said Elladan. "A perfect wife for you, I might add. You sure are as _interesting_ as she is."

That instantly shut Elrohir up. He glared at his twin and made a move to kick at Elladan's legs under the table. The elder son of Elrond quickly jumped out of his seat.

"Oh, for Valar's sake." Keldarion sighed. "Sit down, Ell. And, Ro, keep your feet where they can't kick at anything. We are here for a reason and _that_ is not to see the two of you killing each other senseless."

"And what _is_ that reason, may I ask?" Legolas spoke. "Pulling a prank on me?"

Keldarion clasped a hand over his heart, pretending that he was shocked by Legolas' words. "Oh, brother, you hurt me! What made you think I would do that to you? You are here to eat and relax, brat. _We_ are paying, see? Our treat."

"Uh huh." Legolas' gaze was skeptical as he eyed his brother, his arms crossed over his chest. "Should I say 'thank you' or 'no, thank you'?"

"Oh, don't mention it," Keldarion responded with a grin.

"Fine." Legolas rolled his eyes at his brother's intent to evade his question. "I'm curious, though. How the blazes did they come out with such names for those meals? 'Fire Breathing' soup? 'Smooth and Tender' what-not? I mean, are they really necessary?"

"You will know after you savor them," Elladan said, reclaiming his seat.

"The food here is great, Legolas. Trust me," Elrohir added.

"Trust _you_?" Legolas snorted. "Get real!"

Not long after, the tavern girl returned, bearing a large tray on one shoulder. She plunked the mugs on mead in front of them, before dumping plates and overfilled bowls with loud thunks on the table.

"Enjoy," she announced and went on her way.

The elves blinked.

"Right. Um…" Elladan chuckled. "The food here might be great but the service is sure a lousy one."

"I second that," Keldarion responded and began to push the bowl of rice porridge at Legolas' way. "Here. You had better eat this. It's a good healthy food to help your growth."

Legolas frowned darkly at the porridge, deeply suspicious. "Why should I eat _this_ when you get to eat that mushroom soup?"

The other three elves looked blandly at each other, and that gave Legolas all the more reason to be even more wary. "What? Have you somehow _sabotaged_ my porridge? Is that why you want me to eat it?"

"Look, brat, there's nothing wrong with the porridge," Keldarion said in an 'I'm-your-big-brother-so-do-as-I-say' tone. "Eat it. You will like it, I promise you."

"But why can't I have that soup?" Legolas knew he sounded like a rotten and insufferable little child but he didn't care.

"Because it's too hot and spicy for you."

Legolas didn't believe it. Not even a little bit. "_Too spicy_? But it's a mushroom soup! It shouldn't be spicy!"

"Well, this is one is."

"Then why did you ask for it?"

"Because I like it," Keldarion lied and began to sigh dramatically. "Really, Legolas. The soup is too strong for your taste. I don't think you can bear to even swallow it."

"Oh, _too strong_ for me, is that it?" His ego a little hurt, Legolas yanked at Keldarion's bowl and picked up the spoon. "Now let's see who is stronger here, me _or_ the soup."

As his companions held their breath, Legolas dipped his spoon into the soup and brought it to his mouth. His eyes widened then, surprised to find that it tasted so delicious.

"It's very good." He took another spoonful. "I don't know what the big deal is with it being too strong for me, unless you want it all for yourself or…"

Legolas froze, the spoon lay suspended in midair.

_Something's wrong here_, he thought with increasing panic, staring at the porridge in horror. His tongue and the back of his throat started to feel like they were slowly burning!

"Legolas?" Keldarion gently asked. "What's wrong? Is it too hot for you?"

It took Legolas a great deal to speak, but he managed it with a brittle smile. "No, not at all. I think I'm going to like the taste of this soup very, very much," he replied, lying through his teeth. His mouth was on fire now but he refused to back down. His pride was at stake here. Trying to wash off the burning sensation, Legolas picked up his mug and chugged down the mead.

It was absolutely the wrong thing to do.

Legolas gasped. He choked, and gasped again as the burning in his mouth intensified. His eyes watering, he glared at his three companions who just sat there staring at him. Keldarion was blinking, Elladan was gaping, and Elrohir was biting his lip to keep himself from grinning.

"So, Legolas. How was it?" the younger twin asked.

"It's _great_," Legolas said through gritted teeth with a false smile on his face. "It's indeed a strong food for a strong person like me."

_Or rather, for a stupid person like me_, he added in his thought. He knew he had just been tricked. He had easily fallen into the trap—hook, line and sinker. _Ai! I'm so stupid!_

"Now I know why they call it 'Fire Breathing' mushroom soup," he added with forced bravado in his voice. "I wonder what they put in it to bring up that _smashing_ hot taste."

"I believe they put in some amount of black pepper," Elladan said, pointing at the dark particles in the soup. "Maybe they also add in some bits of dried chilly for more _smashing _result."

Legolas shuddered involuntarily. _Black pepper?__ Dried chilly? Valar. What have I gotten myself into?_

Feeling pity for his brother, Keldarion pushed the plate of apple pie towards Legolas. "Here. Have some of this. The sweet taste will chase away the burning in your mouth."

Legolas glared, his face so red he was almost purple. "Who says my mouth is burning?" he snapped.

_Oops_. Keldarion pulled back at the pie. "Uh…fine, then. But are you sure…?"

"I'm _sure_," Legolas curtly said. "Now aren't you all eating or are you just going to watch me eat?"

His three companions instantly grabbed their spoons and began digging at their food, staying away from the deadly soup.

But not Legolas. He would die first before admitting that their trick had gotten to him. So, to save face, he looked down at his bowl, took a deep breath, and resumed the agonizing task of finishing his meal.

**TBC…**

**What's gonna happen next?**


	5. 5

**Deana**** You can't eat spicy food either? Too bad. I love spicy food! The spicier the better! That's why I'm a little off-centered in the head. He! He!**

**AbbiCat14**** Hey, nice to see you're back!**

**Beginning-end-314 :**** Oh, poor you. I know how it feels to be forced to eat something you don't like. Once, a friend made me eat his cooking. Believe me, that guy can't cook!**

**Leralonde**** Yes, mate! I'm writing this story, so of course terrible things will happen to Leggy. LOL!**

**BitterLee**** I've looked into the matter and I found that the fic is based on this _manyan_ series. The author has indeed gained my permission to use my OC and some plots. I now recall keeping the e-mails somewhere. I really appreciate your concern and being very observant, mellon. Thank you. Don't hesitate to tell me of any more 'findings'.**

**Acacia59601**** The gang mob by prepubescent teen girls? Ha! Ha! I just have the picture in mind! The four hot elves will be naked even before the mob ends!**

**Mellaithwen**** What an appropriate song. Sing it again!**

**Pavement**** The page don't fully reveal your address. I only got pavementc, but what's the rest? Is it at Yahoo or AOL or Hotmail?**

**Astalder27**** That was the original plan. I think that will be enough, considering what Leggy is going to face afterwards.**

**Nessa**** Thranduiliel**** You got _that_ right!**

**LegolasLover2003**** Have I told you before that Leggy can be quite dense? Yep. That he is.**

**Kel**** The boys ages are equivalent to human's twenty and thirty years old.**

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Legolas thought he was going to die.

Die of humiliation, that was, if not from dehydration first.

Ever since they had left the town that evening, his innards had been churning like crazy. It was the worst indigestion he ever had in his entire life. His mouth and gullet had stopped burning, thank the Valar, but his upset stomach made it impossible for them to ride back to Mirkwood that very night because Legolas had to stop repeatedly to attend to some 'urgent needs'.

So—after Legolas had leapt off his mount and dashed to seek privacy behind some bushes for the _third_ time in a row—Keldarion suggested they made camp in the woods, choosing a spot under a large maple tree that was not far from a creek. He and the twins wisely kept their grins in check, making no comment on Legolas' predicament.

Keldarion felt slightly guilty at seeing his brother so miserable, but he said nothing lest he got his head chewed off. He had even offered to accompany Legolas to visit the stream just now but his brother had sent him a deadly glare that could have felled an orc. So Keldarion let him go, a little uncomfortable to let Legolas tend to his 'business' alone after the entire incident with Shakmi earlier in the day. Who knew what the medicine man would do to get his revenge? The town was already several leagues behind them and there was no sign of anyone following, but Keldarion believed it wouldn't hurt to be on full alert, just in case.

"Ai. Me and my blasted pride," Legolas growled under his breath as he refastened the ties of his leggings.

Clutching at his still sore tummy, he then climbed up the bank of the creek and headed for the pile of clothes he had dumped in a heap on the ground next to his boots. He had been sweating earlier, his body enveloped by such an unnatural heat so that he had to wash his head and torso to cool himself. The indigestion had wreaked havoc with his entire system and he started to feel slightly dizzy from it.

He had known he didn't need to finish off that blasted mushroom soup. He only needed to admit defeat, making an end to the stupid prank there and then. All he would have suffered were a scalding mouth and a bruised ego. But, _no_. He had been foolish enough to choose his pride over his very life!

"Serves me right!" he muttered to himself as he picked up his tunic, starting to get dressed.

But his stomach chose that moment to churn once more in warning.

"Blast it!" Legolas swore, slamming his shirt into the dirt in frustration. "Enough already!"

With clenching fists and eyes closed, he bit his lip as he endured the discomfort, standing perfectly still as he willed for the ache to fade quickly away. So intent he was in this effort he was unaware of several figures in the woods who were carefully watching his every move.

Back at the camp, Keldarion was tending to the fire as the twins arranged some bracken under their cloaks to make beds. Sending another glance towards the creek, the prince wondered out loud, "Do you think he is fine out there?"

"Don't worry, Kel," Elrohir responded with a smile, coming to sit next to his friend. "Legolas can take care of his 'business' by himself. He doesn't need anyone to hold his hand while he is doing 'it'."

Keldarion scowled. "Not _that_, you dolt! That's not what I mean!"

Elladan reached down and smacked the back of his twin's head, much to Elrohir's annoyance. "He knows what you meant, Kel. Ro is just acting his stupid self, that's all."

Elrohir rubbed the back of his head as he glared at his twin. "I'm not stupid, _stupid_."

Ignoring his brother, Elladan sat down on Keldarion's other side. With a sigh, he draped one arm across the prince's shoulder. "Don't fret too much, Kel. Legolas is fine, I believe. Growling and moping like a wounded bear, but he is fine. The only big trouble he is having right now is keeping his bowels intact."

Turning his head, Keldarion gave Elladan a rueful smile. "Poor Legolas. I think we have been too cruel on him with that soup."

"You are right," Elrohir said. "But he didn't need to finish the entire soup in the first place. And don't forget what _he_ did to _us_. Remember the snakes? _And_ the leeches?"

Keldarion shuddered in disgust. "_Please_. Don't mention the leeches. I can still feel them crawling up my thighs!"

He rubbed his arms, feeling the goose bumps rising there. "Valar. I hate leeches! Blast Legolas for his ingenuity. I could have fed those bloodsucking maggots to his face if I could even stand touching them!"

The twins chuckled as they remembered the way Keldarion had screamed the night before, swinging and stabbing and whacking his sword at his bed to kill the little bloodsuckers. It had been a bloody mess—with the leeches the only casualties, thankfully. Keldarion had not appeared unscathed because the creatures managed to draw a bit of blood from tiny punctured wounds all over his legs, yet it was minor injuries, nothing serious. Still, it was the indignity of totally losing his composure and senses that gave Keldarion the determination to get even with his brother.

But now, he began to have second thoughts.

"Elbereth! What's taking him so long? Has he fallen into the water and drowned or something?" Keldarion grumbled, glancing towards the direction of the creek again.

The small stream was about hundred yards away, hidden from their view by the trees and thick bushes. They could hear the sound of water flowing, followed occasionally by small splashes. Otherwise, all was quiet. Legolas had stopped muttering and cursing for quite some time, and that did not bode well with Keldarion.

"I'm going to check on him," the prince finally announced, jumping to his feet. The twins also stood and fell in step on each side of him.

"Do you think this is a good idea?" Elrohir asked, matching his strides with the prince's. "Legolas is bound to kill us if we see him…well…you _know_."

"There's nothing of him I haven't seen yet," Keldarion responded, pushing a low tree branch out of his face. "I changed his diapers when he was a baby, remember? Anyway he has nothing that we don't have. So, by the Valar, if I find him well and sound and he is deliberately driving us crazy with worry, I swear I'll kick his silly butt and push his ugly face into the mud!"

But to their great shock and dismay, Legolas was not where he was supposed to be. His boots, tunic and cloak were there. And so were his vambraces and his belt, as well as the small dagger he always carried along with him. But Legolas was nowhere to be seen.

"Where did he go?" Elladan frantically looked around, frowning slightly.

"Do you think he is hiding?" Elrohir asked next. "Maybe he is laughing at us right now, from somewhere up in the trees."

"I don't think so." Keldarion had walked a little further downstream, following his brother's footprints. He suddenly froze and instantly turned pale.

"Ai Elbereth!"

The twins hurried to his sides, and the three of them stared at the sign of scuffles clearly visible on the ground. There were several foreign boot prints—humans' most likely. And where the boot prints started was the point where Legolas' foot prints disappeared altogether. They also saw a rock the size of a child's fist, and it looked totally out of place lying there on the grass-covered bank.

And there, caught in some low brambles, was the familiar looking leather strip that Legolas used to tie his braid. It might have come loose in the fray, which told them that Legolas had given quite a fight before he was taken.

_But why didn't we hear anything?_

Keldarion crouched down and picked up the leather band. He clenched the strip in his fist, his fear mixing with his anger.

"Valar, no," he muttered, his blue eyes glinting dangerously. "It's happening again."

**TBC…**


	6. 6

**TaniaNZ**** Be assured, I will write one. The wedding is going to be a…how shall I put it? Yes, A disaster. And it has everything to do with a certain famous dwarf. **

**Sesshyangel**** I'm keeping you up past 12? Oh, how sweet. Ah, campus life. How I still miss it.**

**BitterLee**** Poor Legolas indeed. Oh, I totally love what you put here: "My bum is already numb". Ha! Ha! It rhymes! Hilarious!**

**Kuriei137 **** Your address only appeared halfway. Is it at Yahoo or Hotmail or AOL?**

**Acacia59601**** It's true. I'm addicted to cliffies. (Stands up and says out loud, "Hi. I'm Adromir. I'm a cliffieholic.") So, be warned. The cliffies are getting more and more ridiculous, especially for _this_ chapter.**

**Sabrina**** I'm glad you like Kel. The character just pops up in my head without warning, like a jack-in-the-box.**

**Mellaithwen**** That nosey lil bugger will never learn from his mistakes. I'll make sure he won't.**

**Aly**** K :**** Too short, eh? Hmm. I'll make the font bigger then. LOL!**

**NessaThranduiliel**** Indeed, I can't stop! It's a sickness. I have to make you all wait and wait and…**

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Shakmi was an angry man. He was not used to being ridiculed or contradicted by anyone.

Having been known as the town's only medicine man, the people had always looked up to him whenever there was sickness or injury. He lived alone in a small hut at the edge of town. The people would bring him food and supplies as payment for his services. They didn't actually fully respect him, but at least they had enough sense to fear him. With his long graying hair, sharp obsidian eyes and grim features, he looked quite intimidating and overpowering. The people even thought he could work magic or curses that could bring the town to its doom if he was crossed.

But now everything had changed in just one afternoon, all because of an unknown elf who dared to interfere in his affair. Shakmi hated interference. He hated obnoxious, snobby elves even more. And what kind of a creature was the elf that he held such remarkable power of healing? Shakmi had never seen anything like it.

Truthfully, the medicine man was deeply envious. He knew his own healing skill was nothing compared to the elf's. He also knew how the elf had already caught the people's admiration through his amazing beauty and grace. But worst of all, the strange being had made Shakmi look like a fool in front of _everyone_.

The man couldn't stand the derision. He would not tolerate such insults! Now was the time to regain his self-respect. The elf must be taught a lesson, right here, witnessed by all the townspeople.

Ronin, the town mayor, had been questioning Shakmi's decision for the coming event, wanting to know if it was really necessary. So the medicine man had hotly responded, loud enough for the entire town to hear, "If you want this town to be spared from evil's claws then do as I say! Our lives and our souls will be in danger if we let that creature live! The Power Above has just spoken to me. They told me the elf is a witch in disguise who shows kindness and beauty on the surface but wreaks malice in his black heart and has rotting flesh behind his mask. You are a fool to fall for his treachery!"

Just like a clump of tall weeds that bent to whichever directions the wind blew, the not so bright people—including the mayor—accepted Shakmi's words with no more questioning. They now waited with anticipation in the town square where the platform had been set up earlier that day. But the platform was now gone, only to be replaced by a thick wooden post made of strong birch. A heap of kindling and firewood had been gathered around the post, the centre of everyone's current attention.

If Shakmi's hired thugs succeeded in their given task, the coming ceremony would begin in a very short while. Right after his failed attempt to burn the ailing children, the medicine man had quickly carried out a plan for revenge before the elves could leave the town for good. He had ordered six men to hide in the woods to wait for the elves and ambush them. But their actual mission was to capture the golden haired elf and kill his three accomplices.

The night was already late but more people kept streaming into the square. Someone had been spreading the rumors that the medicine man was going to punish an evil witch. It was another exciting event not to be missed, now that the burning of the children had been totally rescinded.

A slight commotion suddenly erupted from down the street, alerting everyone that Shakmi's hired men had returned with their captive.

When the pale and wide-eyed golden haired elf in their custody finally came into view, the medicine man smiled inwardly.

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The moment he caught sight of Shakmi, Legolas instantly knew he was in trouble. Very deep trouble.

The elf prince had awakened to find himself draped belly down on top of a horse, his arms bound behind his back. To add to his misery, he was also gagged, so no one understood the garbled curses that he was yelling—or rather, trying to yell—at them.

Legolas swore again, this time at himself for his absolute stupidity. Previously at the creek—while he was standing there stiffly, waiting for his gut to stop churning—he suddenly heard the curious sound of a snapping twig coming from downriver. Alone and armed with only a dagger, the smart thing for him to do was to directly head back to camp and alert his brother and the twins. But Legolas had not been thinking at the time. He had been royally pissed off!

With clenching fists, he had approached the area where the sound had come from. He had expected someone to come screaming at him, wielding a sword or crossbow of some kind. So when a rock had hit him in the forehead instead—with enough force to make him see stars, no less—Legolas had been completely stunned. He didn't remember blacking out but the next thing he knew, several men were wrestling him to ground, trying to tie him up.

He had quickly regained his senses to yell for help, but the men had promptly stuffed a wadded cloth into his mouth, choking him and nearly cutting off his breath. They pummeled him repeatedly as he resisted, kicking and throwing punches left and right. But, still dizzy from the impact with the rock, he was slow to avoid a vicious kick swinging towards his face.

The ugly boot was the last thing Legolas saw before he found himself bumping uncomfortably on his stomach on the back of a horse as the men rode at breakneck speed towards the town. It had been the worst and longest ride of his life, and the most degrading too considering the way his rump had stood up in the air the entire time, much to the men's amusement.

Now they were dragging him towards a burning stake in the middle of the square. Shakmi and a large crowd were already waiting there, ready to carry out and witness the elf's execution. Some of the people were jeering and laughing at Legolas' plight, but others—the women, mostly—were crying out loud protests. Shakmi ignored it all but stared calmly at the elf.

Angry and a bit terrified, Legolas growled as he stood before the medicine man, mumbling incoherently as he demanded explanation. His head was aching terribly, and his body was black and blue with bruises. But, miraculously, the upsetting churn in his stomach had completely gone. _Must be the adrenaline then_. It had chased away his indigestion, thank the Valar.

Yet, what he was about to face now was even more disturbing. He hastily looked around him, noting the grim faces and hard gazes of the humans. There were men and women and children alike, jostling at one another to get a good look at the captured elf.

And there was no sign of Keldarion and the twins.

_Kel, where are you?_ Legolas began to panic as the men shoved him to the stake at Shakmi's signal. Without untying the bond on his wrists, they wrapped a length of chain around his chest to the pole. Afterwards, they rearranged the kindling and firewood around him so that he was covered by the pyre up to his thigh. He struggled and heaved mightily but he was totally stuck. There was no way he could free himself.

As the crowd grew quiet, Shakmi reached over and yanked the gag out of Legolas' mouth. The elf instantly exploded, "What the heck do you think you are doing?!"

The medicine man smiled slightly. "Forgive us, master elf. But we need to do what we thought best for this town."

"What the blazes are you talking about?" Legolas fumed. "Get me off this thing!"

"You see, you are a lost soul, searching for unknown purposes…"

"_WHAT_?!"

"There is an evil being within you, a great evil that hides behind your beauty and is rotting beneath your skin," Shakmi continued as if Legolas had not responded. For dramatic effect, the man turned towards the crowd. "The evil that will destroy us all if it is left ignored, The evil that tries to trick us and lure us towards our end, pulling us away from our faith and beliefs, tainting our souls and our hearts, the evil that must be exterminated before we cease to exist!"

"What a load of crap!" Legolas glared at the medicine man. "What is it with you and this evil business? Have you lost your ultimate senses, human?"

"Silence!" Shakmi shouted, pointing a finger at the elf. "You are not only an elf but also an evil witch. No one could possibly have such healing powers if one does not make a pact with the demon!"

"A pact with the demon…?" If Legolas had not been so stunned, he might have broken up laughing hysterically.

"True." Shakmi nodded solemnly. "The demon that cheats our eyes, and tempts us with your pleasant features and honey-sweet words. The demon that knows our weakness and uses them to its advantage. The demon that yearns to control us and make us its slaves."

"Oh, for the love of Elbereth…" Legolas sighed in exasperation with a roll of his eyes. Shakmi's speech was beginning to drive him crazy!

"And for the sake of everyone in this town, you are to be sacrificed to the Power Above." The medicine man was now clutching his staff in front of him, his eyes closed as he grew deep in thought, as if he was listening to some voices that only he could hear. "With you dead, the demon will die. And our life will be at peace."

Legolas snorted. He just couldn't believe what he was hearing. Gazing at the crowd, he spoke in earnest, "I don't know what kind of poison this man has been feeding you but I have to tell you that he is wrong. A demon hungry for human souls? Come on! You are not stupid enough to believe such bloody nonsense, are you?"

Shakmi whirled and swung his staff, hitting the elf on his face. With a sharp cry, Legolas' head snapped to one side. His already cut lips split even wider, spilling more blood to trail down his chin.

"Enough delaying. Let's get this thing over and done with," said Shakmi before he ordered for a torch to be brought forward.

Shaking his spinning head, Legolas then stared at Shakmi through a haze. "You are not going to succeed," he hissed painfully.

"The Power Above is with me. I will succeed," Shakmi responded. "Any last words, master elf?"

"Yes. You are digging your own grave, human. You'll see what I mean," Legolas responded, and then he frantically searched the crowd. _Oh, please, Kel! Where are you? I need you now!_

There was an acute silence as the man, Mordred, came to stand in front of the pyre with a burning torch in his hand. Shakmi nodded, and Mordred threw down the torch.

The dry kindling caught fire instantly. Within seconds, Legolas was engulfed by the inferno!

**TBC…**

**I know. Bad cliffie. **

**Bad, bad, _evil_ cliffie.**

**So sue me**.


	7. 7

**Mystkyten**** Yes. I think I would enjoy the beating. Ha! Ha!**

**BitterLee**** Have a nice lunch, mate! And don't forget to finish it!**

**Astalder27**** Sorry. No water is allowed in this 'cinema'. Like Usher sang, "Let it burn, let it burn, let it burn…"**

**Jedi Gollum :**** Please, don't Mary-Sue me. That is the thing that I'm scared of most. Please don't!**

**Baby Blaize**** Yes, it indeed happen before. But, don't worry. You didn't miss it. I haven't posted it yet. It is still in my head, waiting to be written. Next year, maybe?**

**Delano**** Have you received 'Triple Jeopardy' that I sent you?**

**Teddybear888**** Sue me for _anything_ you want. I'm willing to pay.**

**AbbiCat14**** You have lawyers, eh? Graduated from Minus Morgul University? Not impressive enough. _My_ lawyers graduated from Valinor Law School. Hah! Beat that!**

**Nessa**** Thranduiliel**** Oh, but I can't stop. It's a sickness, you see. Totally incurable.**

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It was not hard for Keldarion and the sons of Elrond to trace the group of men that had taken Legolas. The footprints by the creek had led them into a clearing nearby where they found markings of horses' hooves in the dirt. As the followed the track on horseback, the elves were unsurprised to find themselves returning to Oak Byre.

As they guided their mounts through the town, Keldarion immediately knew they were about to confront an atrocity. The streets were almost vacant but a loud commotion was heard coming from the town square. There was also the sound of someone screaming.

A deep chill instantly ran down Keldarion's spine because he knew the voice that screamed again and again in intolerable pain.

"Legolas!"

The prince kicked his mount and bolted down the street, the twins following not far behind. At the square, they pushed through the crowd, yelling at the people to let them through. The crowd obeyed without question, quickly making way lest they got trampled by the horses.

None of the elves were prepared for what they were about to see. Ever a strong-willed person himself, Keldarion nearly fainted when he caught sight of his brother tied to the burning stake. It was a sight that would haunt him for a very long time, a sight that caused great sorrow in him as guilt stabbed through his heart, tearing him asunder.

"Ai Elbereth…"

For one horrible moment, none of the elves could move as they stared open mouthed at their beloved companion. But then, Keldarion finally broke out of his stupor. With a harsh cry, he leapt off his mount and ran headlong into the flames, kicking at the burning woods and kindling out of his way. He stoically brushed the pyre off his brother with his own bare hands, telling Legolas over and over that he would be set free.

Completely delirious with agony and terror, Legolas seemed not to hear. He didn't even realize that his brother was working to release him. His leggings on fire, Legolas kept howling and trashing frantically as his flesh baked and scorched. The flames were snaking up his torso now and the pain was incredible. His vision had darkened, his mind gone numb. He didn't know if he was still alive or already dead, but he kept praying for oblivion so he could no longer live such torment.

Shakmi the medicine man was livid. He had thought the three elves had been killed in the woods as he had planned. With a snarl, he ordered his hired men to get rid of Keldarion and the twins. As Keldarion dived into the fire, Elrohir and Elladan quickly unslung their bows. In second, Shakmi had two arrows pointed straight at him.

"Nobody move!" Elrohir barked as the six men advanced towards them. "If anyone takes another step forward you'll know how it feels to have an arrow sticking through your gut!"

The men froze. Shakmi bristled. He could only watch angrily as one of the identical twins suddenly lowered his bow and rushed towards the stake to help the first elf.

His face reddening, Keldarion was using his sword to whack at the chain that confined his brother to the pole. Because of the heat, his vision was staring to blur so that he couldn't quite see properly. The pain was starting to get to him too, but he knew he must not give up for Legolas' life depended on him. Then Elladan was beside him, lending strength with his own sword.

After one last thrust, the chain broke, and Legolas slumped forward. Before he could fall face down into the fire, Keldarion and Elladan hastily caught him around the waist. Gathering Legolas into their arms, they hurried away from the stake. Stopping next to Elrohir who was still aiming the bow at Shakmi, Keldarion lowered his brother onto the ground, running frantic eyes all over Legolas' badly scorched flesh.

Legolas had stopped screaming, and was still conscious. So great his agony was he couldn't even speak. He just stared with glazed eyes at his elder brother, sobbing and whimpering pitifully. His entire body trembled and his burnt legs twitched spasmodically, while his hands were shaking so terribly he couldn't get a firm grip on his brother's tunic.

Cradling Legolas in one arm, Keldarion accepted a cloak from Elladan and gently draped it around his brother who was practically naked. What was left of Legolas' leggings now hung in tatters around his waist. Bits of fabric were sticking to his scalded skin. The elder prince was afraid of the great discomfort his brother would endure when they pulled those sticking bits away, not to mention the agonizing process of treating those frightful burns.

Ignoring the blisters on his own hands, Keldarion lovingly stroked his brother's head. He whispered consoling words repeatedly as he planted kisses on Legolas' brows and temple. He didn't realize it but his cheeks were damp with tears. His throat felt as if he was choking on a big lump. Over and over, Keldarion gently rocked his brother, saying he was sorry he was late and that he promised to make Legolas well again.

At the poignant sight, the entire crowd went silent. Eerily silent. Most of the women had tears in their eyes. Even some of them were openly crying. The men looked on stupidly, not knowing how to react.

However Shakmi chose that moment to speak. "Curse you and your interference!" the medicine man shouted, holding up his staff, trying his best to look domineering and intimidating. "The Power Above shall look upon this intrusion as an insult! The powers are very angry that you have disrupted this holy sacrifice! You should have let the witch burn to his death! You help free the demon that will take our soul and…Erk!"

Keldarion had quietly placed Legolas in Elladan's care before he stood and strode swiftly towards Shakmi. With one angry move, the elf prince seized Shakmi's throat in one hand and squeezed with all his might.

"The witch or demon or _whatever_ you call him is my brother," Keldarion growled through gritted teeth as Shakmi's eyes grew wide with terror, gasping for breath. No one dared to come forward to help the medicine man because the bright glow of Keldarion's fury was deeply terrifying.

His handsome face forbidding and hard, Keldarion lifted his arm until Shakmi's feet barely touched the ground. "But _you _are the dirtiest, slimiest, most malicious lying spiteful son of a whore I've ever met! You _are_ the demon. So to the Power Above you may go!"

At that, Keldarion spun and shoved the medicine man against the still burning pyre. Shakmi shrieked as his cloak immediately caught fire. He tried to rise up but Keldarion firmly planted his boot on the man's chest, giving no access for Shakmi to get free. The man struggled and screamed, pleading for mercy and cursing like mad alternately.

As the people gawked at the spectacle, Keldarion never took his eyes away from the burning man. He watched with grim satisfaction as the fire licked happily at Shakmi's flesh and hair. He finally stepped away when-not long after-the man stopped struggling, totally consumed by the flames.

Ignoring the gaping crowd, Keldarion walked back to Legolas, gathered his limp brother into his arms, leapt onto his mount and rode away without another backward glance.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Elladan and Elrohir managed to catch up with Keldarion on the outskirts of town. The Mirkwood prince had dashed from the square as if chased by a tornado. He finally came to a halt when he heard the two brothers call out his name frantically.

"Kel, we need to stop," Elladan said when they reined in their mounts next to him.

Keldarion shook his head in total disagreement. "No! We must get Legolas back to Mirkwood without delay!"

"But we must tend to him first. His injuries…"

"He is best treated at home!" Keldarion yelled. "I won't spend another minute in this bloody place!"

"Blast it! Listen to me!" Elladan shouted back, quickly grabbing the prince's arm when his friend made a move to kick his mount and resume his wild gallop. "Legolas' burns are severe. We must treat them fast before they get infected. If that happens, he might never use both his legs again, do you hear me? I'm not kidding, Kel. We _need_ to stop."

Keldarion was blinking back tears as he stared at the twins, his mind going numb. Panicked and frightened, he didn't actually know what to do. "But, he…he is fading and…and…"

"He will pull through this but you must do as I say," Elladan said, more kindly this time. "Look at him, Kel. He is in great pain. I don't think he can stand the arduous ride back to Mirkwood tonight. Not in this condition."

Keldarion looked down at his younger brother. Legolas' eyes were closed, but he was feebly whimpering as he twisted one fist in his brother's cloak. He was barely conscious, in too much agony to fade into desired oblivion.

The twins had already dismounted. They now stood by Keldarion's mount, waiting patiently as the prince contemplated with himself.

"I don't want him to lose the use of his legs," Keldarion finally muttered, looking a bit dazed as if he had just woken up from a dream.

"Neither do we. So please, Kel, give him to us," Elrohir pleaded, already reaching for Legolas. "We will be gentle with him, we promise."

"Yes. Of course." Keldarion nodded stupidly and let the twins take his younger brother from his arms. As if on autopilot, he dismounted and trailed along behind as the twins walked to a very big tree and placed Legolas onto the ground. Keldarion didn't know what kind of tree it was because he didn't bother looking up to find out. He had his eyes only on his brother, his heart breaking at Legolas' every grunt and moan of pain.

"Kel, we need you to hold his head," Elladan suddenly spoke, motioning Keldarion to come closer.

The elder prince nodded again, this time without a word. The huge lump in his throat had not gone away. It was still there, making speech unbearably difficult. Moving forward, he sat down at the base of the tree. Then, as gently as possible, Keldarion gathered his brother's head onto his lap. He held Legolas' hand as the twins began their effort to treat the burns.

Elladan was carefully peeling away the cloak that covered Legolas' legs. Legolas jerked with a yelp, and buried his face against his brother's warm side to muffle his cry of anguish. The cloak was sticking to some parts of the wound, making the procedure even more difficult.

"Ro, the water skin, please," Elladan commanded, his face grim. Legolas' legs were now fully exposed, looking so ugly and frightening, the raw skin almost white to the bone. The heavy stench of burnt flesh still permeated the air, making their noses wrinkle in slight queasiness.

Elrohir had grabbed two water skins from their mounts. He gave one to his brother and quickly uncorked the other one. The twins exchanged glances before they turned to Keldarion.

"Kel, you need to hold him really steady," said Elrohir. "This is going to hurt."

Praying that the twins knew what they were doing—which obviously they did for they had been trained in the art of medicine by none other than Lord Elrond himself—Keldarion tightened his arms around his brother. He looked down and saw that Legolas' eyes were wide open, staring numbly back at him.

Legolas smiled, albeit unsteadily. "I'll be…fine. No…big deal."

Shaking his head, Keldarion stroked Legolas' cheek. "I'm sorry, little brother. This is all my fault."

"No. Not your fault. Me. Stupid."

Keldarion chuckled through his tears. "Yes. That is also definitely true."

Biting his lips, Legolas slowly turned to look at the twins. "I'm ready."

Elladan smiled reassuringly. "Hang on, kid. This won't take long."

Then, on muted signal, the two Rivendell brothers tilted the water skins and poured the water all over the burns on Legolas' legs.

And, for the second time that night, Legolas screamed.

**TBC…**


	8. 8

**Jedi Gollum :**** I have some news for you—_everyone_ like Leggy torture. LOL!**

**Lelaronde**** Err…you want Leggy? You need to wait in line, girl. Some of us have booked him two years before hand! **

**Szhismine**** Hi! Nice to hear from you again!**

**Nessa**** Thranduiliel**** Go on. Scream then. But I can't hear you! **

**Beginning-end-314 :**** Don't worry. Leggy has five different kinds of insurance. (The yearly premium is killing me!)**

**Kuriei137**** Shakmi is now 'over well done' and 'crispy' dead. Worry no more.**

**Astalder27**** Keep your gifts, mellon. The twins will go berserk when they see those candies and teddy bears.**

**Sesshyangel**** Comic relief, eh? Maybe in this chapter. Or maybe the one after this.**

**TaniaNZ**** Extended ROTK is out in your country on December 10th? Wow. That's fast. In Malaysia, it is on the 15th. That's five days delay. Grr!**

**Mellaithwen**** Nope. Thranduil won't be pleased at all.**

**Kitty**** It's about time Kel loses his control. Well, who wouldn't?**

**Sailor Elf :**** Yikes! You're getting pretty close there, mate!**

**BitterLee**** LOL! Thank goodness you've finished eating. I hate to spoil your appetite with those gruesome scenes. Are you having lunch now? Keep eating. Nothing gross will pop up on the screen.**

**Keluin**** Lossehilin**** I once burned my fingers while ironing a dress. Eek! It burns! It burns usss!**

**Gina**** Two updates? He he he…No comment.**

**Kalayna**** You want to sue me too?**

**Delano**** I know how that feels. When my computer crashed several months ago, I almost banged my head against the wall!**

**Acacia59601**** Oh, I just love to send the angst-o-meter through the roof!**

**Tbiris**** It's okay, mellon. It's okay.**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Legolas slept fitfully for the rest of the night, burning with fever and weak from pain.

Both his legs had been wrapped in bandages from toe to thigh after the twins had applied some salve made of _aloera_gelonto the burns. They had found the plant growing wild and abundant on the bank of a nearby creek. Some people called the plant 'Goblin's Tongue' because of its shape. The thick and rounded black leaves indeed looked like goblin's tongue and it had cold, gel-like filling which was a soothing balm for burns and blisters.

Keldarion glanced down when Legolas moaned. A lone mosquito had landed on his younger brother's cheek so Keldarion shooed it away, tugging the cloak more securely under Legolas' chin. The mosquitoes had been running wild within their camp because the elves were reluctant to build a fire, knowing that the sight of it would only upset Legolas more after the harrowing experience he had just gone through.

"The king is probably wondering where we are," Elladan, who sat on Legolas' other side, suddenly spoke. He was staring at the rising sun across the horizon.

"Yes, he definitely is." Keldarion nodded, cringing inside as he thought about his father's fury when he discovered their latest escapade. "And I think he is sharpening his sword right about now."

"What is he sharpening his sword for?" Elrohir asked with a frown.

"Why, to make sure it's sharp when he cuts our heads off with it," Keldarion jokingly responded with a small smile, staring at his bandaged hands. "That way, we won't be able to come out with any more harebrained ideas."

The three companions chuckled, and then grew quiet again, each deep in his own thought, wondering how a simple prank had turned into a complete disaster.

The early morning breeze was gently blowing. Singing in chirpy tones, the birds were already out of their nests to look for worms and grubs. There was dew on the blades of grass, blinking like diamonds under the sun. All in all, it was the start of another beautiful day. But the elves knew that their day was far from beautiful. Not even close.

Legolas' injuries were so grave he could do nothing but just lie there helplessly, wallowing in his agony. He was in no condition to sit, let alone to mount. The ride to Mirkwood would be cruel to his legs, making his already bad wounds worse.

Keldarion and the twins knew they had no other choice but to wait until Legolas was a little better, or for one of them to rush back home and ask for a carriage. Elrohir had volunteered to do so, but the other two were not really keen on the idea of letting him go alone. Elladan could not leave for he was diligently monitoring Legolas' fever, and Keldarion refused to have his brother out of his sight even for a second. So they were stuck there, clustering together under the tree like a pack of vagabonds, cut off from their luck.

"Ah!" Legolas suddenly cried out, his eyes flying open. He looked frantically around him in fear.

Keldarion was leaning over his brother in an instant. "Hey, it's all right. You are safe," he soothed, stroking Legolas' damp forehead.

"Safe. Right. Of course." The younger prince nodded, sighing in relief. He closed his eyes briefly, gulped some air, and broke into soft chuckles. "Silly dream. Scared the devil out of me!"

"Oh? What did you dream of?" Elrohir wanted to know.

"I dreamed that father forced me to eat the entire cauldron of 'Fire Breathing' mushroom soup before he chased me with a sword, saying that he wanted to pick the brain out of my head because I rarely use it."

For a full second, the other three elves stared at one another before they burst into gales of laughter, finding it amusing that Legolas was also having nightmares about Thranduil at the same time they were discussing the king of Mirkwood.

They all stopped laughing when Legolas broke into a coughing fit. Elladan gave Keldarion the water skin. "He needs to drink."

"No, no. I can't drink anymore. My stomach feels like bloating," Legolas gasped with a grimace, pushing feebly at the water skin. "Since last night, you have kept feeding me water at every chance you get."

"We can't have you dehydrated, Legolas. The burns are taking a lot of your body fluid. Now, drink it. We don't want you to go dry and brittle," Elladan said, gazing admonishingly at his patient.

"But my bladder is about to burst!"

"Let us worry about that later." Keldarion placed the lid of the water skin on Legolas' lips. "Now, drink. You don't want me to force this down your throat, do you?"

Legolas wanted to loudly complain but found he had no strength. He took the drink in three gulps, almost choking when the water went the wrong way. Then, to his absolute horror, he felt something wet quickly spread under him.

"Uh…Kel?"

"Yes?" Keldarion put away the water skin and turned to his brother.

"I…I think I just…uh…" Legolas' face was already red with embarrassment. "I really couldn't hold it, I swear."

The elder prince froze. Glancing briefly at the equally dumbstruck twins, he reached down and peeled away the blanket that covered his brother.

Legolas had just wet himself.

"Oh. It's all right, Legolas. I'll clean you up," Keldarion said reassuringly.

"I'm sorry." Looking at anywhere but his companions, Legolas looked close to weeping. "I don't know what came over me. I…I'm so sorry…"

"Hey, hey. None of that, you hear?" Cupping his brother's cheeks, Keldarion looked straight into eyes that were filled with tears of shame. "The three of us understand. You are badly hurt and very ill. We will take care of you, all right?"

"I was so scared…" Legolas began sobbing in earnest, his body shaking. He suddenly saw himself back at the burning stake, securely tied and totally vulnerable, eaten by the flame.

"I know." Keldarion pulled his brother into his embrace. "I'm very sorry we were late. I wish we had arrived sooner so that you wouldn't have had to go through such atrocity."

"I'm sorry too, Legolas," said Elladan, stroking Legolas' head. "We should have known instantly that something was wrong when you took such a long time at the creek."

"And we are also sorry about the blasted mushroom soup," Elrohir added, scooting closer to grip Legolas' shoulder. "But you have to admit, you didn't have to finish the entire bowl. Now look what you have gotten yourself into."

Legolas looked up, and broke into a watery grin when he saw the deadpan expression on Elrohir's face. Obviously, the _manyan_ prince was still traumatized by last night's burning experience. The horrific scenes kept playing at the back of his mind—over and over again—like a bad play. Still, it was nice to know that his brother and his friends were always there for him. They would never let him be alone, come hell or high water.

"So, let's clean you up before you develop nappy rash," Keldarion teased.

"Ha. Ha. Very funny, Kel. I'll die laughing," Legolas easily responded, wiping his tears away.

As Keldarion grabbed the water skin and a wash cloth, the twins began to scrape more gel from the _aloera_ plant. After Legolas was cleaned and dressed in Keldarion's spare shirt, Elladan gently unwrapped the bandages from his legs. The _aloera_ salve had done wonders because the burnt flesh was beginning to dry up, no longer sticking to the fabric.

Still, Legolas couldn't help but wince and hiss in agony when the twins reapplied more of the salve on his wounds. When it was over, he was so drained he promptly drifted back to sleep. He didn't even twitch when Keldarion lowered his head onto a folded cloak.

As Elrohir went to the creek to refill the water skins, Elladan put their supplies back into the pack while Keldarion stayed near his brother. Gazing down at Legolas' pale face, the elder prince sighed. "We shouldn't have come here."

Elladan glanced at him. "Yes, but we _did_ come here. We can't change that fact. Things happen, Kel."

"Father will ground us for the rest of our lives."

"Better alive than dead," the other elf quipped, reaching over to feel Legolas' forehead. "The fever's gone. Now that leaves the burns."

"Will they heal?"

Elladan nodded. "It takes time, though. He also needs to go through some exercises to strengthen those affected muscles. It is going to be hard but Legolas can bear it. He is strong." Then he grinned. "Oops. Wrong word there. Actually, he is _stubborn_. A total hard- and pig-headed kind of stubborn."

That caused Keldarion to chuckle. "Aye. That he is."

Then he sobered, his eyes grew hard. "But those humans are…are…Elbereth! I don't even know what to call them! They are just so ungrateful! I mean, Legolas saved their lives and what did they do in return? They called him a witch and burnt him. Talk about freeing the beast from the snare!"

"That Shakmi person was a strong manipulator, Kel. And those humans are weak. They can't make up their own mind, always too quick to believe any spinning tales told by certain kinds of people."

Elrohir chose that moment to suddenly reappear. And he was looking quite frantic as he rushed back to camp.

Alarmed, Elladan quickly stood and frowned at his brother. "What? What's wrong, Ro?"

"The townspeople. Many of them," Elrohir explained, his expression a bit troubled. "They are heading this way."

**TBC…**

**Note :**** _Aloera_ plant. I got that name from the _Aloe Vera, _or what the Malaysian here called 'Crocodile Tongue'. Yep. Not very creative there.**


	9. 9

**ScottyBaby**** Go on. Take Kel to the prom. Just don't let him do the 'moonwalking' dance, though. Believe me, it's terrible!**

**Acacia59601**** You're lucky then. This chapter has no cliffie.**

**Beginning-end-314 :**** I can't wait for ROTK EE too. I just booked mine with our current video retailer. Why is December 14th so far away?**

**Sailor Elf :**** Yep. When you got to go, you got to go!**

**KeluinLossehilin**** I did have some pictures of the characters, Legolas' mostly, sent in by some of the readers. Megan, a friend of mine even drew some pics of Keldarion and Hawkeye. But after my PC broke down several months ago, those pictures were gone! I only have those Leggy pictures now. Very cute!**

**Mellaithwen**** Nice song. Appropriate lyrics. **

**BitterLee**** The humans are coming to offer some help, or try to. They have to confront Kel first. I think I will write a short LOTR fic after this. I want to get Gimli back into the picture.**

**Manders1953**** Thanks, mate.**

**Delano**** Like you, I don't know why they took it off. Maybe they don't like Kel very much.**

**Szhismine**** You, naughty, you! Stop stepping on his legs!**

**Sindauviel**** But I love cup o noodles! Oh, Happy Hannukkah, dear.**

**Legosgurl**** You got a bow and arrow from the Fair of the Forks? Okay. I'm scared. (And don't worry. My PC loves to screw up also. Right now, it refuses to print.)**

**Legolas****' Garden Light :**** You're welcome. Want more? He! He!**

**Jedi Gollum :**** I'm in the 2 percent group too. Sorry. Just kidding.**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Keldarion swore. He grabbed his sword and leapt to his feet, planting himself right in front of his brother as he scowled in the direction Elrohir had pointed. The twins also collected their bows and arrows, more than willing to shoot at the prince's command.

The townspeople came into view not long after, murmuring and whispering to one another when they finally caught sight of the elves. The men walked together in groups, bringing along their wives and children. There were also two carts that carried more children and old people, and some others were on horses. Amazingly, almost the entire town had turned out for this early morning stroll into the woods.

"Halt! Don't come any closer!" Keldarion yelled as he strode forward. Standing ten yards away, the prince glowered at the humans, eyeing them suspiciously as he searched for any weapons hidden in their midst.

The townspeople had come to a stand still, gaping and blinking at the furious looking elf. The long unsheathed blade he held looked menacing enough to make the people take a step back. Some were even cowering in terror as they found arrows pointed straight at them by the two identical elves. Anxious and unsure, the crowd quickly turned to their leader, the man who was at the front of the procession.

Gulping and slightly sweating in apprehension, the man stepped forward uncertainly. He took off the hat he was wearing and bowed slightly. "Good morning, my lords. I'm Ragan, the town mayor."

Keldarion's only response was by narrowing his eyes to a slit, pinning the short, stocky man under his glare.

That caused Ragan to gulp and sweat even more. "Well, I…uh…_We_ came here to…"

"I don't care why you are here so be gone!" Keldarion snapped. "You are lucky we didn't kill all of you after what you did to my brother last night. But I'm still not in the best of moods today and _might_ cut off a head or two. Now, if you value your life, I suggest you turn around and go home immediately before my sword here starts swinging!"

The people gasped and cried out in fear to hear that. Some were beginning to back away, frantically pulling their family along. Several women looked so distressed they began to cry, clinging to their men. Even the mayor spun on his heels to leave the area.

But, much to Keldarion's surprise, certain groups of the people didn't even budge from their spots. Surrounded by their young sons and daughters, several couples were gazing apologetically at the elves. Assuring one another, they braved themselves to move closer forward despite Keldarion's warnings.

Standing there, gripping a deadly blade in his hand, the prince looked stern and formidable. Even a fool could see how regal and noble a person he was. The silently approaching group of people was deeply intimidated by Keldarion's obvious fury and arresting charisma, but they were determined to carry out the mission that had brought them here in the first place.

"My lord," said one of the men, taking the role of the spokesperson for the group. "We know you are displeased to see us. But we came here to find out how the healer is. We are very concerned for his condition. Please, do tell us, how is he?"

"He is still alive and that's all you should know. Now, leave!" Keldarion curtly replied.

The man glanced at his family and friends who were urging him on silently. Turning back to Keldarion, he gulped down his nervousness and tried again. "May…May we see him?"

"No, you may not."

A woman stumbled forward then. "Please, my lord. We feel awful about what Shakmi did to him last night. We were powerless to stop the burning. The healer, your brother, has saved our children's life and we are utterly grateful. We really need to see him to thank him, and tell him that we are very sorry."

The rest of the humans also nodded and murmured in agreement. The children even came forward to add in their pleas, their eyes wide and hopeful. But Keldarion was immovable from his stance.

"Enough!" he shouted, causing the people to jump in fright. "Be gone, I said! My brother doesn't need you to see him wallowing in the pain that you've caused. And you can do nothing for him anyway so…"

"Kel."

It was the barest of a whisper but Keldarion heard it. He spun and gazed straight at his brother. Legolas was gazing back at him with a stoic smile. Obviously, he had been awakened by the loud voices just now.

Sighing softly, Keldarion quickly returned to Legolas' side. "Yes, brother? Are these humans causing you distress? Do you want me to dispel them all?"

The twins also knelt down beside him. "Want us to shoot a heart or two?" Elladan asked with eagerness.

"Want me to capture the town mayor so that you can pick his eyeballs out?" Elrohir asked next.

Legolas had to chuckle at that. "No, thank you. Just…just let them come forward, Kel."

Apparently, Keldarion didn't like this. "I will not! You need your rest. This people will only upset you more. I won't allow it."

"Kel," Legolas said, laying a hand on his brother's. "Can't you see? They are so afraid of you they are shaking in their boots. They can't do anything to me anymore. It's all right, Kel. Let them come."

Silently, Keldarion's eyes met his brother's appealing gaze. Then, with a heavy sigh, he stood and walked back towards the waiting people. He regarded them seriously, staring at the solemn faces, one by one.

"You may see him," he finally said after what seemed like an eternity. The crowd instantly broke into smiles of relief, loudly thanking Keldarion as they shuffled forward.

"I'm not finished!" the prince shouted in exasperation, causing the humans to freeze in mid step. They blinked back at him in stupefaction.

"Only the _children_ are allowed to see him," Keldarion added. "The rest of you shall stay behind."

At this, the people gaped at him. They looked down at their young sons and daughters, slightly afraid that they would be harmed. Seeing this, Keldarion had to stifle a derisive snort.

"Trust me, humans, unlike you, we elves have enough honor not to harm innocent little children," he said. "Go on. Let them go see my brother. But, if they upset him in _any_ way, I won't hesitate to put my blade to use."

The people hastily nodded. They spoke quietly to their children before pushing them towards Legolas. Reclining under the tree and flanked by the twins, the _manyan_ prince watched as the boys and girls approached him with hesitant steps. A little boy reached him first, extending one hand for a handshake.

"I'm sorry you got hurt," the boy said as Legolas accepted his hand. "And I would like to thank you for saving my life yesterday. Shakmi was very bad. I'm happy he is dead."

Legolas nodded and the boy stood and stepped to the side, making way for other children. A girl came next, and she bent down to kiss the prince's cheek.

"Thank you for healing me, my lord. I hope you get well soon," she said with a shy smile. She pulled a stuffed animal from behind her back and placed it on Legolas' chest. "Here. This is Bobo the bear. My mother made it for me so he could be my protector. He can be your friend now so no one else can hurt you."

Legolas was so shocked and pleased by the gift he didn't know what to say. "I…uh…thank you," he muttered, gazing dazedly back at the girl as he wrapped his arms around Bobo.

The girl beamed and moved away. More children took her place after that, bearing gifts and words of gratitude as they also wished him a speedy recovery. Legolas was clearly overwhelmed, grinning at the children through his tears. Keldarion's anger quickly evaporated when he saw his brother's smiles. He exchanged amused glances with the twins, glad that the children's visit had managed to boost Legolas' spirit.

When the last child left, the _manyan_ prince had received two more stuffed animals, ribbons for his hair, a pair of woolen socks, a shirt made of soft cotton, a beautiful leather belt, several handmade blankets, some jars of medicated salves, and four bouquets of flowers. Elladan and Elrohir were trying hard to control their laughter to see Legolas surrounded by the piles of gift.

"Thank you. All of you," Legolas managed to say as he looked gratefully at the children who had returned to their parents' side. The people nodded and smiled back at him, but they were still wary of Keldarion's intimidating presence. They kept sending uncertain glances towards the elder prince who stood there like an avenging angel, his arms crossed and his face impassive.

"Now you've all had your say, I suggest it's time you leave," Keldarion told them.

"Yes, my lord," one of the men spoke, nodding vigorously. "Again, we apologize for all the things that have happened."

"Apology accepted. Now, move on," Keldarion impatiently responded with a wave of his hand. The people bobbed their heads as they bowed, shuffling backwards.

"Thank you, my lord," said one woman, curtsying awkwardly.

"If you need anything, my lord—_anything_ at all—do tell us and we will do our best to give it to you," said another.

That made Keldarion pause. He grew thoughtful for several seconds. "Anything?"

At this, the townspeople glanced at each other before one of them replied, "Indeed, my lord. Anything you ask for."

"Very well." Keldarion nodded, coming to a decision. He then pointed to the cart which had carried the children here. "I want that thing."

**TBC…**

**Want to know what Thranduil's reaction would be? Wait for the coming conclusion!**


	10. 10

**Deana :**** Always my 1st reviewer. Thanks, girl.**

**Keluin**** Lossehilin**** Yes, dear. Be prepared to laugh your heart out. Oh, have you got the pictures I sent you?**

**Beginning-end-314 :**** Oh, poor you.**

**Dur**** En Thurin Naur**** LOL! You got that right! **

**LegolasLover2003**** I have bad news for you. Leggy doesn't like Josh Groban. He knows Josh sings better than he does! Didn't you know they once slugged each other behind stage during one of Leggy's concert? Our elf prince went berserk when Josh sang the national anthem before the concert began, hence stealing his thunder. Sorry. Just kidding. Where in the world did you get a Josh Groban bear? I want one!**

**Delano**** Indeed, little kids are cute…except for when they are bawling or fighting or making mess of themselves _and_ us! I know, I have three nephews and a niece to prove it. Yep. Too late for you to have Kel.**

**BitterLee******** Repeat after me, 'This is a conclusion'. **

**Szhismine**** you are definitely right! The Simpsons? It has been _years_ since I last saw that series about the demented family. I've even forgotten the father's name. Was it Bart or something?**

**Legosgurl**** Thank you for your recommendation. I'll go check her out.**

**Anmouneus**** Thank you. I will.**

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Legolas' journey home on the cart was not going as smoothly as everyone had planned.

The cart was so old and rickety that it shook violently every time it went over the dips and ruts along the trail. They even feared that it would crumble to pieces at one point, almost expecting to see Legolas being dumped unceremoniously onto the ground and buried under the debris.

Whenever they hit some bumps or ran over rocky surface, Legolas was tossed about in the cart, banging against the walls to his left and right. Keldarion and the twins quickly put packs and blankets around him to make padding to soften the blow, not that Legolas would care. Exhausted and still weak, he had promptly settled into deep oblivion the moment he was laid down on the hard wooden floor.

But it was not the rough uneven trail that was giving the elves such big headaches but the mule, the animal that was pulling the cart, the most stubborn and aggravating creature they had ever encountered in their long life.

"Ai! Stupid bloody animal! To the right, I said!" Elrohir—who drove the cart—yelled for the umpteenth time as he jerked at the reins.

Riding alongside the cart and leading the other two horses, Elladan reached down and swatted the mule's rump. "Come one. Get moving, you dummy!"

"I'm not a dummy!" Elrohir shouted back.

Elladan rolled his eyes. "Not _you_. I was talking to the blasted beast!"

Bringing the rear of the strange procession, Keldarion looked on with a slight grin, deeply amused in spite of his frustration at their slow progress. The mule had become more of an annoyance rather than a big help ever since they left the woods of Oak Byre. It refused to move faster than a snail, it happily dragged the cart all over the holes that they tried to avoid, it went left when it was told to go right, and vice versa. But the most exasperating thing was that it had this tendency to stop abruptly in the middle of everything to munch on some bushes that caught its fancy.

Still, Keldarion couldn't help but find the humorous side to all this. Imagine, here they were, still several leagues away from home with a terribly wounded companion, carried by none other than a very ancient cart that had seen better years and pulled by the most obstinate beast ever known in Middle-earth. In short, it was a total disaster on wheels.

At Legolas' sudden moan, Keldarion instantly kicked his mount to move closer. Leaning over the cart, he reached one hand to touch his brother's cheek. "Legolas? Have you awakened?"

Legolas' eyes fluttered open then. There was a glimpse of panic in his gaze as he stared at his brother. "Kel? What…What's happening? Earthquake?"

Keldarion chuckled before he squeezed Legolas' shoulder reassuringly. "No earthquake, brother. It's just this blasted old cart, that's all. Are you hurting?"

"Not really. I'm fine." Legolas shook his head and tightened his arms around Bobo, the stuffed bear that the girl had given him that morning. "Where are we?"

"We just passed through the Mirkwood borders. Won't be long now. We will be home before you know it."

Legolas shuddered involuntarily, looking so pitifully frail. Seeing this, Keldarion gathered the blanket much closer around his brother's body. "Still cold?"

"No, not that." Legolas stifled a grimace as he grinned weakly at the elder prince. "I'm wondering what father's reaction would be when he sees me in this condition."

Keldarion winced. "Ai. Don't remind me. I'm perfectly sure he won't be happy."

"That's an understatement. He will be _furious_."

"He will want my head."

"_And_ mine."

The two brothers laughed, knowing what they were in for but were still able to make small jokes about it. Then, from up front, the twins suddenly went into another round of loud swearing when the mule stopped yet again to chomp on some foliage alongside the trail.

"Hot blast! Ai, this is madness! Madness I tell you!" Elladan yelled as he dragged the mule by its head back on course.

"Stupid bloody son of a warg!" Elrohir was fuming as he yanked at the reins in sheer exasperation. "Valar! I'll kill this blasted beast when we get back home! _If_ we get there in one piece, that is."

They did manage to arrive at the Mirkwood palace in one piece, right after sundown. Elrohir didn't kill the mule, though. He was so exhausted he could only slump in his seat and watch with growing dread as the king emerged into the courtyard. Likewise, Elladan stayed mute and sent panic-stricken looks at Keldarion. Without speaking, Keldarion dismounted and waited anxiously for his father's imminent 'explosion'.

Thranduil frowned at them with great displeasure. He ran his eyes all over the youngsters' bedraggled condition before fixing his gaze on the pathetic looking cart. "What in Arda is _that_ thing?" he barked, pointing at the mule.

They blinked back at him, a little unsure on how to reply. No one spoke for a long time afterwards, causing Thranduil's temper to climb up another notch. "Well? Are you deaf or have you all lost your tongue?"

"It's…it's a mule, my lord," Elrohir finally answered, looking extremely sheepish.

"I know that!" Thranduil sharply retorted. "But what is it doing here? Where have you all been? _And where in Arda is Legolas?_"

"Uh…I'm right here," came Legolas' timid response from the back of the cart.

The king's eyes narrowed. He rushed towards the vehicle and peered inside, only to find his youngest son lying there surrounded by packs and blankets and flowers, clutching at a stuffed bear.

"_Legolas_?" Thranduil was clearly flabbergasted.

"Hello, father," Legolas replied and tried to muster a smile.

"What happened to you?"

"I…I met an 'accident'." Legolas looked frantically to his brother for help.

"It was no accident, father," Keldarion explained. "The people of Oak Byre tried to burn him to death."

Thranduil stiffened, his eyes widening. He reached down and gently pulled one corner of the blanket that covered Legolas, and gasped in horror to see the extent of his son's injuries. His face pale, the king turned to give his eldest child a hard stare. "What were you doing in Oak Byre?"

Finding it hard to meet his father's eyes, Keldarion lowered his gaze and said nothing.

Confused and angry, Thranduil resisted the wild urge to throttle the boys' necks—Legolas' included. He swallowed down his rising fury and calmly ordered, "Upstairs. All of you."

Keldarion and the twins made a move to collect Legolas but the king waved them away. "I've got him. Just get this stupid cart off my property before it gives everyone else a scare," he said as he gathered his youngest son into his arms. "I want to see the three of you in Legolas' room as soon as you finish. You have lots of explaining to do."

With that, the king hurried inside with his ailing child, leaving the three young elves standing there in the middle of the courtyard with mixed reactions.

"Ai. We are dead," said Elladan, glumly.

"Your father is _very _angry, Kel," Elrohir stated next.

"And he is going to get angrier when he learns the entire story," Keldarion responded with a weary sigh. "Come along, my friends. Let us dispose of this cart before we meet our doom."

The prince beckoned the servants for some help with the horses as Elladan collected their belongings from the cart. Meanwhile, Elrohir approached the mule to give it his last 'sermon', but he had to jump back with a startled yell instead.

Its jaw opening wide as it brayed, making it look as if it was grinning, the mule cheerfully relieved itself onto the beautiful cobblestone of the courtyard, barely missing Elrohir's legs.

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When Keldarion and Elrond's sons entered Legolas' chamber a short while later, Thranduil nearly bit their heads off, so furious the king was with them.

Legolas had told his father _everything_, from the very beginning to the end, and now he lay in his bed with the counterpane up to his ears. He tried to close his eyes and feign sleep, but he knew it was impossible, not with the tension so high. So he just lay there quietly and hoped that, somehow, the four of them would escape serious punishment.

"Sit!" Thranduil pointed at the long settee across the bed. "And start talking."

The three sat. And Keldarion began talking. He talked and talked, clearly aware that his father's face grew even redder by the minute.

But when Keldarion got to the part where they found Legolas burning at the stake, the prince stumbled in his speech, his face turning white. He glanced at Legolas, as if assuring himself that his brother still lived. When he reopened his mouth to continue, Thranduil interrupted, "You told the same story as Legolas."

Keldarion found that his father was staring intently back at him. "Because it is the truth."

"You don't deny pulling pranks on your brother?"

Elladan and Elrohir chose that moment to intervene. "My lord, we were also involved in this…"

"I'm asking my son, not you two," Thranduil cut in without looking at the twin. "Did you, Kel? Did you trick your brother into eating that spicy soup even when you knew he has never eaten anything like it before?"

Legolas voiced out then, "Actually, father…"

"You've had your chance explaining so sit there and shut up," Thranduil hissed with a glare, causing Legolas to shrink back into his pillows.

"Yes, father, I did," Keldarion responded as the king turned back to him. "And it was my idea that we went to Oak Byre."

"Why?"

Keldarion sat up straighter as he met his father's blue eyes, which were identical to his. "Because I wanted to get even with Legolas. He…he put leeches in my bed the night before."

Legolas cringed, knowing how childish that statement sounded.

Thranduil was not finish with his questioning. "Are you proud with what you've done?"

Keldarion glanced apologetically at his bed-ridded brother. "N…No. Not at all," he answered his voice breaking.

The king turned to the twins next. "And you two? How does all this make you feel?"

Elladan and Elrohir exchanged guilty looks before replying, "Awful, my lord."

"Good." Thranduil grimly nodded. "Let it be a reminder to you every time you want to pull stupid pranks on one another after this. Look, boys, I don't mind you playing around and having fun. But when it comes to practical joke like this, you have gone way out of line. Something that looks totally harmless could prove fatal without you knowing it. Someone might get hurt. And this time, Legolas did, although not directly caused by the three of you. But he _did _get hurt, and he very nearly died."

With a sigh, the king ran a hand down his face and shook his head. "Ai. I can't believe I'm giving this talk to four grown-up warriors. You all behaved like children, do you know that?"

The two pairs of brothers obediently nodded. Thranduil seemed at loss of anything more to say. He gazed at the young elves and realized how exhausted they looked in their travel stained clothes. "Go to your own rooms, get cleaned up, and get some rest. I will decide what to do with all of you for these latest antics of yours."

"Yes, my lord."

Keldarion and the twins stood and walked to the door, feeling a bit awkward. They expected a lot of shouting and ranting from the king, not this type of gentle reproach. But they were truly swamped with fatigue and they didn't care to wonder about it. Valar knew they couldn't sit through another lecture again. So, off to their chambers they went, their steps heavy and shoulders slumped.

As he stepped outside, Keldarion stole a glance over his shoulder towards his brother. Legolas opened his mouth, wanting to tell him something. But before he could, his brother was gone.

Thranduil had turned his full attention back onto his youngest son, fussing over him like a mother hen. After making sure that Legolas was comfortable, the king kissed his temple, wished him good night and left the room. It was time he comforted his other son.

At Keldarion's door, he paused before entering. He knew what he expected to find inside. He had seen the look on his elder son's face when he spoke of Legolas' burning. Keldarion might not say the exact words, but he was still blaming himself for his brother's near death.

Silently, the king pushed open the door. The room was still dark. The candles had not been lit. And then he knew why. Instead of changing his rumpled attire like he was told, his eldest son sat forlornly in one corner beside the bed, staring into space.

Knowing his eldest son, Thranduil was sure Keldarion had been keeping everything he felt bottled inside. The prince had appeared strong and calm in front of everyone else. But when he was alone within the privacy of his own chamber, all the demons escaped, making war with his conscience and pulling at his guilt.

That was Keldarion, ever loyal to his responsibilities, always quick to put blame on himself when he failed to protect those that he loved.

Thranduil stepped closer and knelt on one knee in front of his son. The prince slowly raised his head, looking so frail in the shadow.

"I saw him burn," Keldarion said, almost in a whisper.

"Yes, I know." Thranduil nodded, gripping his son's arm.

"He screamed and screamed. I can still hear it now." Keldarion was blinking back tears as he bit at his lower lip. "He was in so much pain. I can almost feel it."

"It's all over, Kel. It will take time, but with the twins' help, your brother will heal." Thranduil was now sitting next to his son, his arm draped over Keldarion's shoulders. "He is going to be fine."

"He will have nightmares."

"So will you."

Keldarion's tears fell then. His face crumpled as the first sob escaped his lips. "I will never forget it, father. I never will."

"I know," Thranduil quietly responded as he pulled his son into his embrace.

"I'm so sorry…" Keldarion's shoulders were shaking as he clung desperately to his father. "I nearly caused Legolas' death. He almost died because of my stupid pride."

"I know how you feel, Kel. Trust me, no one blames you."

"I shouldn't have taken him to Oak Byre. I shouldn't have been so…"

"Enough. There's no point talking about what you should or shouldn't have done." Thranduil drew back a little and gazed at Keldarion's tear stained face. "How many times have I told you, we can never change the past? Just learn from it, Kel. If this incident makes you become more protective of your brother then do so. I know how great your love is for him, so I know you never mean to cause him hurt. Do not let yourself drown in your guilt. It will achieve nothing but more and more pain."

Keldarion sniffed. Embarrassed, he turned away and wiped his tears. Smiling sheepishly, he quietly said, "I feel like we have gone through this a million times already. Legolas got hurt, I blamed myself, and then you lectured us and gave me this talk. Thank you, father, for always being there for me and my brother."

Thranduil raised one eyebrow. "Oh? Where else should I be if not with my two foolish children?"

Keldarion grinned. "You know, you could have sent us away to other families the minute we were born. Save you all the headaches you got watching us grow up."

Thranduil laughed. "I tried, believe me. Just my luck, though. I'm saddled with you both for the rest of my life."

As their laughter died down, Keldarion softly said, "I love you, father."

"I love you too, my son," Thranduil responded. Then, smiling mischievously, he inquired, "Say, how in Arda did you control that stupid mule?"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Three days later, after Legolas couldn't stop complaining about being confined like a prisoner in his room, they carried him outside into the garden and sat him down in a big chair.

With a warm blanket draped over his lap, Legolas leaned back, closed his eyes and smiled. "Ah. Sunshine. Beautiful, refreshing sunshine," he sighed, totally content.

The others grinned as they also took their seats, glad to see Legolas' obvious pleasure to be outside in the opened space. The servants were busy putting trays of delicacies and refreshments on the garden table. It was late in the morning but the air still carried the scent of last night's dew. The flowers were in full bloom, and the breeze was softly whispering among the trees. It was indeed a beautiful day, good for a convalescing wounded prince.

"Here. Drink your tonic." Thranduil pushed a mug filled with honey-laced _aloera_ juice towards his younger son.

Legolas grimaced. "No, thank you. I drank it yesterday."

"This is for today," the king insisted. "You want to get better or not?"

"Yes, I do. But that thing tastes like mule piss!" Legolas whined. "Besides, how would it make me better if you keep torturing me to death with those exercises?"

Under the twins' supervision, Legolas had gone through some treatments to strengthen his leg muscles. The burnt flesh was healing, slowly yet steadily. For the time being, Elladan and Elrohir kept the therapy at minimum so as not to endanger the mending tissues. But it was still a painful process for Legolas, and it was common these days to hear his scream and curses within the palace walls every time the therapy was in session. He even punched Elladan's face at one time, sending the elder son of Elrond flat onto his back.

"Drink. _Now._" Thranduil's voice was stern as he frowned at his son.

"All right, all right." Grumbling under his breath, Legolas took the mug and drank. When he finished, he looked almost green. "Valar, I hate this bloody stuff," he complained.

"That bloody stuff is good for you. It helps you heal much quicker," Keldarion said as he lifted the tea pot. "Tea, father?"

Thranduil shook his head with a smile. "No, thank you. I just drank a big glass of orange juice before coming down here."

Keldarion served the tea for the twins before pouring himself a cup. The three instantly launched themselves into a discussion with the king, talking animatedly about current military news. Sulking, Legolas crossed his arms and glared at them all, annoyed that he was not included in the conversation.

Suddenly, his mouth fell open and he sat up straighter. Then he broke down laughing, clutching at his tummy.

Stupefied, Keldarion and the twins stared at him. "What's so funny?"

Legolas was laughing so hard he couldn't speak. He laughed and laughed, pointing his finger at them.

"What?" Elrohir was puzzled.

"He must be losing his mind," Elladan supplied, shaking his head at Legolas' weird behavior.

"Your…your mouth," Legolas managed to gasp between gales of laughter. "Look at your teeth!"

"What's wrong with our teeth?" Keldarion turned to his father. "Is there something in my teeth?"

To his surprise, though, Thranduil was almost red in the face trying to hold his laughter. Then one of the twins yelled, "Your teeth have turned black!"

Keldarion stared at the twins' mouth, his eyes widening. "So have yours!"

Thranduil couldn't hold it any longer. The king threw back his head and laughed out loud. Legolas chortled all the harder. Their eyes narrowing, Keldarion and the twins fixed their hard gaze at the two of them.

"Legolas, what did you do?" asked Keldarion, a hand covering his mouth.

"I didn't do anything!" Legolas protested, collapsing in his chair as he fought for breath, tears of mirth running down his face.

"It was me," Thranduil finally admitted. "I told the servants to 'accidentally' put in some ink into the tea pot."

Silence reigned for a full heartbeat. The all gaped at the king, completely stunned.

Then, with a loud roar, Keldarion leaped off his chair and lunged at his father, the twins right behind him. The four of them fell onto the lawn in a tangle of arms and legs, wrestling and pushing one another. Enjoying the sight, Legolas clapped his hands and burst out laughing all over again.

Commander Linden, Mirkwood's highest military officer, rushed into the garden when he saw the king being mauled by three young elves. Then he recognized who those youngsters were. Smiling, his head shaking, the commander turned around and faced the servants that had gathered to see.

"Move along, everyone," he told them. "Mind your own affairs. Let the king have some family time with his sons."

All kinds of Valar must be grinning from above when hearing that.

Some family time indeed.

**THE END**

**Note :**** Yes. I did get the idea about the ink in the tea from watching 'The Patriot' movie. He he…**

**There goes another one! Now everyone lives happily ever after.**

**Yeah, right.**

**I hope you all enjoy it as much as I enjoy torturing Leggy and the gang. Thank you very much for reading and reviewing. And, as tradition, here are the faithful reviewers in alphabetical order : AbbyCat14; Acacia59601; Aly K; anmouneus; Aranel of Mirkwood; astalder27; Baby Blaize; Beginning-end-314; BitterLee; Brazgirl; butterfly-elf; Coolio02; DarkAngelPearl; Deana; Delano; Dur En Thurin Naur; effigy; Enigma Jade; Irish Anor; Jedi Gollum; Joee1; jubisaurus; kel; KeluinLossehilin; Kitty; Kuriei137; Legolas' Garden Light ; gina; Kelayna; Legolas Greenleaf; LegolasLover2003; Legosgurl; leralonde; Manders1953; Manwathiel; Mellaithwen; MoroTheWolfGod; Mystkyten; NessaThranduiliel; pavement; PL Wynter; Real Anonymous Fan; Sabrina; Sailor Elf; ScottyBaby; seeing-spots; Sesshyangel; Sindauviel; Star-Stallion; szhismine; TaniaNZ; tbiris; teddybear888; Trista; Willow Evenstar; (I hope no one is left out, but if I do please tell me!)**

**To my beta, Sara aka Aranel of Mirkwood, I love you more and more and more and…well, you know how it goes. Thanks, girl, for your proof reading. Now go feed Kimi and Leggy! You've been neglecting them and now they are starving!**

**Next, the coming attractions.**** Really, I don't know yet what I'm gonna put up for the next coming fic. There are several in mind—a chibi-Legolas, an LOTR, and also a short story about Keldarion's wedding (It's a disaster, I promise you!). Whatever it will be, just wait and see. I might surprise you with something else entirely. You know how unpredictable I am, right? LOL! And to those who I've promised the extended version of 'Trauma', please be assured that it will come your way soon. Just check your mailbox (if you have given me your e-mail address, that is) next week. I might drop an early Christmas present for you.**

**For those who love to read books like I do, I would like to recommend an author. Try Bernard Cornwell's _Holy Grail Quest_ series. It's fantastic, I tell you! Consists of three books (_The Archer's Tale _aka _Hallequin_, _Vagabond_ and _Heretic_), the trilogy tells the story about an English young archer named Thomas Hookton (Legolas anyone?). There are lots—and I mean _lots_—of battle scenes, action-adventure, drama, angst, and a bit—just a tiny bit—of romance. To all those battle lovers out there, get these books. You won't be disappointed, I promise you. Right now I'm reading _The Last Kingdom_, another latest masterpiece of his.**

**Before I leave, I would like to wish you all Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!**

**See you in 2005!**

**Adromir**** has left the building!**


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